The Bender Revolution Book One: Uprising
by Moonlitdaze
Summary: In a world where Amon's anti-bender initiative succeeded, benders live under harsh oppression and segregation from society. Only the Avatar can possibly end the tyranny, but the problem is- no one knows what the Avatar is anymore. AU.
1. Prologue

**First story in a loong while. Hope you guys like this. :D **

**Note: This is a version of the Avatar world is many, many years in the future-several Avatars have come and gone. But, since they didn't know who they were, they can't really offer much wisdom, so Taro connects with Korra. In this AU, Amon's anti-bender initiative has succeeded, but the truth regarding the equalists' harsh methods has been concealed, turning the equalists into poor, helpless victims merely acting out of defense, rather than acting out by means of bloody revolt. Thus, many benders are ashamed to be benders, and many benders' parents are ashamed of their children. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story. **

_Prologue_

In a small hospital room in the poorer part of Republic City, a tired sweaty woman contentedly listened to the shrill cries coming from the next room. A very somber nurse carried a blanket-wrapped bundle in, and the woman's eyes flew right open.

"May I hold him?"

"Ma'am, the baby has been with many doctors and healers, but-"

"But what?" the woman asked, concern lacing her face.

"The baby's spine is damaged. He'll likely never walk."

"Let me see my child," the woman said flatly, holding out her arms.

"Yes, Ma'am," the nurse said, relinquishing the small bundle to his mother. The woman grinned down at the baby, in love with him regardless. "What will you call him?" the nurse asked.

"Taro. His name is Taro." Suddenly, her eyes went wide with pain, and she slumped back against the bed.

"Ma'am?" the nurse whispered, uncertainly, creeping over to the bed. She gently shook the woman, but received no response. The nurse shook her head, drawing the mother's eyelids closed, and then disappearing into the next room. "The mother is dead," the nurse announced the room full of coworkers. "We must tell the father-"

"There is no father. Not a known one, anyway. The reckless woman was unmarried," one nurse said. "He's the son of bender, though. No right-minded family would dare adopt him. Might as well drown the beast, Rina."

"What kind of medical professional are you, Ai?" Rina hissed, cuddling the baby close to her body in protection.

"One who's under the oppression of the equalists, and is very fond of _living,_" Ai snorted. "I won't make you do it yourself, though. I'll drown the thing."

"No!" Rina protested, very loudly. "I won't let you harm this child!"

"He's probably a cripple, maybe even a _bender_," Ai reminded her. "You were blessed enough to be born into a family on non-benders and to be free of the curse yourself. Don't throw away all those blessings because of that insignificant, illegitimate _urchin_. Now, Rina, put your head back on straight and give me the baby."

"None of you are against this?" Rina turned an accusing glance on the other nurses in the room. "You would let a baby be killed like that?"

"We've seen the way healers- benders that work here are treated," one of them said, in a low whisper. Rina's best friend-_betraying_ her. "And, since he's a cripple and illegitimate, he's better off dead, anyway."

"I can't believe you. _Any _of you." Rina backed up in horror, glaring at all her coworkers. "If-if this is your work ethic, I can't work beside you in good conscience anymore. I quit."

"Good luck finding another job with a _bender_ as a son," Ai sneered.

Without another word, Rina drew her shoulders up, stomping out of the room, wailing baby and all. She stopped by the locker rooms, gathered her things, and headed out into the slightly rainy Republic City night. She walked a few feet in the direction of her apartment before she lost it. Weeping, she sat down on the curb under a streetlight, holding the wailing baby close and sobbing herself.

"What's a pretty lady like you so upset about on such a lovely night?"

Rina looked up, seeing a handsome man giving her a charming smile.

"I-I just quit my job," she blubbered.

"Shame," he muttered.

"Not so much. Horrible people to work with."

"Then you should be celebrating. Why the long face?"

Silently, Rina presented the baby. "Chance of a bender," she said. "He's very likely a cripple, too."

"He yours?" the man asked.

Rina sighed, looking down at the baby in her arms. He'd calmed down a bit now that Rina had done the same. "Yes. I suppose he is now. His name is Taro."

"Nice to meet you, Taro," the man grinned down at the poor little child. "My name is Kane." He looked back at Rina. "And your pretty mother's name is?"

"Rina," she said, extending her free hand.

"Very, _very _pleased to make your acquaintance, Rina." He accepted the gesture with a warm, genuine smile. "May I walk you home. I'd hate to see you alone while you're so sad." He held out his arm.

"Yes, Kane. I would very much like it if you walked me home." She looped her arm through his, and they walked down the streets together. To any passerby, they probably would have looked like any normal family, which for some reason made Rina relax a great deal. _We'll be okay, Taro, _she thought, smiling up at Kane. _We'll be okay. _

**So...whad'ya think? Please let me know. Constructive criticism's very, very welcome.. Anyway, I hope you like this, and I hope you wind up liking Taro, because you're kind of stuck with him if you don't. I work two days a week, but I'm out of school, so, as long as I don't get writer's block, my updates should be pretty consistent. No promises, though, since most of you guys know how illusive inspiration can be sometimes. **

** Until next time,**

**Moonlit. **


	2. Chapter 1

**Edited a mistake in the prologue. I originally had it as a dream sequence for Taro, but decided I didn't like that approach, so I went back and rewrote it. I skipped over a few things in editing. *facepalm* . **

**Anyway, I would like to thank you all for reading/reviewing and thank you SOOOO much for your constructive well-rounded reviews. I assure you, I've read all your suggestions and I am keeping them in mind as I push forward. **

**So, this is the chapter where you really get a sense of Taro. I don't know about you guys, but I'm excited about him. I have to admit, in my original draft, he wasn't the main character, but I like my decision to make him my protagonist. I'm trying to make the Avatar world still the Avatar world, but keep the tradition of rapid-fire technological progression that we saw in the short seventy-years between TLA and LoK. I tried to keep the Asian-like culture alive, though. **

**Oh, and just as Mai= May in the show, Shai= Shay. **

_Chapter One_

"Taro? Taro! I know you heard me, and I'm not playing games with you!" Rina's warning sounded through the apartment, and a groan sounded from Taro's small bedroom in response. "Don't make me come back there. You have five minutes to be dressed and out here! I can't be late for work again!'

"Bite me!" came the sardonic remark.

"Taro, I swear-" Rina hissed, but her threat was cut short when a stray toy on the floor tripped her. "Kani!" Rina scolded, and a girlish giggle sounded from the bedroom adjacent to Taro's. The little eight-year-old peered out from behind the door, green eyes that she shared with the father for which she was named wide with faked innocence.

"Yes, Mamma?" she said, sweetly.

"Get out here and clean this mess up," Rina commanded, though it was really hard to stay mad at Kani for long. Picking herself up off the floor, Rina went back to making breakfast and listening for the tell-tale sounds of Taro getting ready. He wasn't even stirring yet.

Rolling her eyes, Rina arranged three plates of food, carrying them over to the little table by the window. She was about to turn and storm into Taro's room and give him the lashing of a lifetime, but, just as she was about to turn away from arranging the table, she heard his groggy voice groan, and he made and entrance, fully dressed in his school uniform.

"Good morning, Mom." He wheeled over to her, and she leaned down so he could kiss her cheek. "Do you need help, you shouldn't be on your feet-"

"Taro, I just had a little cold. It wasn't some life-threatening disease, I'm fully recovered, and I'm not an invalid." She rolled her eyes for what felt like the tenth time that morning.

"Unlike _someone_," Kani said, in a sing-song voice, sticking her tongue out at Taro.

"Come here, you little brat," he rolled after her, managing to wrestle her into his lap.

"T-Ro!" she squealed, using the nickname that made him bristle. It was throw back to the days Kani was too little to pronounce his name correctly, but now it was just something she called Taro to annoy him.

"What did you say my name was?" he pretended to threaten, tickling her under the armpits with one hand, while holding her firmly with the other.

"Taro! Taro! It's Taro!" she shrieked through laughter. "No fair! You're too strong!"

"Says the one _not _in a wheelchair," Taro said.

"Yes, just carry on like that," Rina said, sarcastically, taking a seat at the table, "we don't have tight schedules to adhere to at all."

"Sorry, Mom," they both apologized, heading over to the table. Taro frowned at the empty place at the table.

"Dad is already at work?"

"Kane took an extra job," Rina said. "Kani's school tuition combined with yours is starting to take its toll on us."

"I thought that's why _I'm _taking the afterschool job."

"Honey, I hate to do this, but those speeches that say 'you can do anything you set your mind to' aren't realistic these days. I know you'll find a job in time, Taro, but your options with the chair are limited enough. Being a bender- well, it's going to be tough for you to find a place, and we need the money _now_."

"So, in other words, you have no faith in me. _Thanks._" He looked down at the brand on his wrist, running his thumb over the ragged, charred flesh. It was the water tribe insignia, with a jagged crack drawn through it, to symbolize his corruption of the culture by being a bender. He remembered the searing pain of being branded in the first place, but it did not hurt nearly as much as when he found out he was a bender in the first place.

"Taro, you know that's not what I meant-"

"You know, I see why you don't think should be able to take care of you guys. Sometimes I can barely take care of myself."

"Taro-"

"We have to go now, don't we?" he cut her off, taking his plate of barley touched food into the kitchen.

Rina sighed, looking at the clock. "Yes. We do." She grabbed her plate and Kani's and tried to send a comforting gaze to Taro as he went to hall closet to get his school bag, but he refused to look at her. "Kani, get your stuff."

"Yes, Mamma," the little girl agreed, scurrying from the room and returning with her school bag seconds later.

"Alright, Taro. Here's your train ticket for back home after school. It departs at seven. Do you think that will be enough time?"

"Probably, but the unemployment office is crowded these days. The line is at the door most nights."

"Well, if it's too late, just give us a ring, and if Kane is off work I'll send him in his Sato-mobile to pick you up, alright?"

"Sure, Mom."

"Okay. Great. Now, let's go. We have a subway to catch."

TBR

"Does anyone want to tell me the outcome of the Treaty of Equality?" Taro was unaware of Master San's beady eyes darting about the room, and equally unaware of the fact that that the teacher's gaze was fixed heavily upon him. "Pupil Taro?"

Taro flinched dropping the pencil with which he was absentmindedly sketching, trying not to blush as the whole class snickered. "The Treaty of Equality- uh -"

He felt something swish onto his lap, and he looked down to see a ripped piece of paper. _Established curfew for all benders, outlawed the use of bending in a public aside from purposes related to a job placement, restricted benders from holding certain jobs in the workforce, and made it mandatory for all bender's to attend the United Republic Academy for Equality, while forbidding them to attend other non-bender schools._ Recognizing Shai's feminine handwriting, Taro prayed a silent thank-you to his friend, while spouting off the paper word for word.

"Very good, Pupil Taro," Master San said, grudgingly. He opened his mouth to say more, but the gong to end class cut him off. "Remember your test at the end of this week, and have a good day. You are dismissed."

They all stood and bowed, and Master San bowed back to dismiss them. "So," Shai said, approaching Taro's desk, "what do I get for bailing you out this time?"

"Um, a grateful hug?" Taro grinned stupidly.

"Cheapskate," Shai teased, grabbing the back of his chair and wheeling him out of the room, despite his protests that he could do it himself. "Of course," she said, once they'd blended in with the masses of other bender students forced to study there, "if you'd pay attention in class, I wouldn't have to bail you out."

"Yeah, yeah, Shai," Taro stuck his tongue out, craning his neck to look up at her. She flicked his forehead.

"I'm serious, Taro. You should actually_ try _sometime. Doing well here means a better chance at a half-way decent job out there."

"Well, my options are already limited, so I really don't see the point. This is my last year, anyway. I can't make much of a difference with the little time we have left."

"Taro-"

"There's my classroom," he cut her off. She stopped, but held fast to his chair. "You going to let me go now, or what?"

"This conversation isn't over," she warned, then relinquished her grip and blended in with the masses, while Taro just sighed and rolled into his next class. He didn't have any more periods with Shai on his schedule, aside from the collective mediation session right after his lunch period, but they couldn't exactly talk during that. They saw even less of each other when the bending portion of the day, seeing as they were two different types of bending.

Without Shai, Taro pretty much was in pure agony the entire time. The teachers weren't lenient on him at all with the waterbending forms, and he was pretty much at the bottom of his class in that portion. Was a great healer, but seeing as that was seen as more of a woman's form a waterbending, it brought him more torment than praise. He left his last class that day with a sour mood, as per usual.

Seeing as it was hard to navigate through the overly-crowded hallways, and the fact that his ride home didn't leave until seven, he hung back for awhile until the place was deserted, and then he headed out. He was stopped by the sound of music coming from one of the mediation wings, and he paused, a little grin playing on his face. He opened the door to the room just a crack, not surprised to see Shai dancing. Her form was lithe and limber, and he could tell how hard she'd been practicing, which broke Taro's heart.

Like Taro, Shai had been born into a non-bender family, so there was some hope she wouldn't turn out a bender. She'd had a dream to dance with the Republic City Ballet ever since she was a three-year-old, but when her bending emerged, the dream was shattered. Shai wasn't even allowed to have a dance teacher under the laws resulting from the Treaty of Equality , so most of her practice came from carefully studying the forms of dance with the RCB she saw on television. She was impressive, but not as polished as trained dancers. And she knew it, too, which was why it made Taro so sad to watch her.

Shai's look of intensity was chilling as she executed each turn. Then, her brows furrowed as she prepared her body for a difficulty leap. The attempt failed, but she quickly got up and tried again, only to fail a second time. After the third repetition of this, she just buried her head in her knees and silently cried.

"You know, I've always wanted to be a dancer, too," Taro said, deciding it was time enter the room. His tone was so serious, Shai actually gave him a confused look before she broke out into hysterical laughter.

"Taro, you always know how to cheer me up," she said, getting up and shutting off the radio. "Don't you have to get home?"

"I'm heading over to the unemployment office now. Money's tight. I need to pitch in." He nodded for her to follow, and she picked up her bag and her shoes and joined him at his side.

"Really?"

"Mom was out of work for a few week because she was sick, so we lost her income. Dad's already had to take a second job. I don't think it's fair that they bust their butts while I'm at home all night long."

"Oh, Taro," Shai sighed, mournfully, taking one of his hands. Sighing, he closed his eyes and ran his thumb of her bender brand, tracing out the waves and curls of the defaced Air Nomad insignia forever etched into her arm.

After a few moments of just strolling in silence, Taro dropped her hand. "I have to go, Shai. The line is really long. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," she agreed, then she waved and, with the grace and speed of an airbender, disappeared down the hall to collect her things.

Once he was alone, Taro went out into the chilly air, and saw most of Republic City- well, the non-benders, headed home from their day's work. The streets were worse than the hallways at the Academy, and several times Taro got dirty looks from the pedestrians for either running into them or accidentally rolling over their toes. He tried not to pay attention to it, though, which was what cost him. He must have really agitating someone, because said someone pushed his chair a little roughly, and it toppled over into the street, spilling Taro out onto hard asphalt. He skinned his elbow, but that didn't really matter, because he spotted on oncoming Sato-mobile barreling full speed right toward him.

He screamed for help, while futilely attempting to crawl back to his chair. Then, the screech of the wheels gave way to a sort of cracking sound, and Taro looked over to see a girl standing in the street in a perfect waterbending form, hastily replacing the cap on the little pouch she had slung over her shoulder. Taro looked at the Sato-mobile, finding the wheels frozen in place.

The driver got out of the car, red-faced, and glared right at Taro's rescuer. "Young lady, you are forbidden to bend in public! I am calling the authorities right now!"

The girl rushed over to Taro helping him back into his chair and placing it on the sidewalk. "We might want to run now. Hold on tight." Then, she actually hopped onto the back of the chair, and pushed off with one foot, gaining them more and more momentum. She pulled her foot up when they started going downhill and, in a panic, Taro grabbed the breaks and they both spilled- _again._

The girl, laughing hysterically, had landed on top of Taro, who was getting tired of ending up on the ground. "That," she said, scrambling to her feet and roping down the rouge wheelchair, "was _amazing._ You're a real thrill, roller-boy."

"Taro," he corrected through gritted teeth. "I'd rather not be named according to the chair, thanks. Now, can you _please _help me up- again?"

"Sure, Sure, Taro," she said, assisting him once more. "My name is Kaida." She extended her hand.

"I should go. I need to find a job." He tried to move away, but Kaida grabbed the back of his chair again and hulled him to her side.

"I might be able to help with that," she said.

"Really? _You_?"

"Yes, _me,_" she said, with a slight glare. "As long as you're-" she grabbed his wrist and nodded approvingly at the bender brand. "Yes. I Can help you. Come with me."

"I just met you, and in the few moments I've known you, you just almost got arrested. You really think I'm going to just trustingly along with you?"

"Kinda." Kaida shrugged.

"Yeah. Well. No thanks. I don't take jobs from crazed strangers." He once again turned to leave.

"Your loss, _Roller-boy_!" Kaida sang out, and Taro rolled his eyes.

"Doubt it!" And he left her.

TBR

"I'm home!" Taro called in a weary voice, as he deposited his backpack in the hall closet.

"Hey, Honey." Rina entered the room, giving her son a kiss on the cheek. "How was the search?"

"A failure," he sighed, and to make matters worse, his stomach growled.

"I saved you a plate from dinner," Rina said. "I'll go heat it up." She swallowed a bit, suddenly wincing and gripping her throat.

"Thanks, Mom," he replied wearily. Then frowned. "Mom, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, dear. Just a little bit of a sore throat."

Taro opened his mouth to say something, when Kani skipped into the room.

"Hi, T-Ro!" she said, with a grin.

"Hi, Kani," he said, fatly. He rolled past her, patting her head, and Kani frowned at his lack of annoyance to "T-Ro". Puffing out her cheeks, she followed him.

"T-Ro, why are you pouting?"

"I'm not pouting, Kani," he said, impatiently.

"Yes, you are-"

"Young Lady, go take a bath," Rina gently scolded, noticing her son's distressed look. Kani groaned overdramatically before skipping back into the bathroom. Taro smiled gratefully at Rina.

"You know," she said, placing the food in front of him. "You don't have to be doing this. No one's expecting you to-"

"That's exactly why I _do _have to do this! Everyone thinks I'm totally useless, and I'm tired of it." He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "I wish I were never born," he whispered.

"Taro!" Rina scolded, eyes flashing. "Don't say that!"

"It's true! I've ruined you life, Mom. If it were just Kani, you and Dad wouldn't have to go through all this. You would have a nice apartment somewhere, with jobs you love, and Dad would be here right now, listening to the radio with you guys and laughing, instead of working himself to death as some minimum-wage factory worker."

"Baby-"

"I'm going to bed, Mom. I'm not hungry." He pushed his plate away, heading toward his bedroom. On his way there, his brakes locked up, and he growled. "Stupid chair."

"Let me help, Baby-"

"I've got it, Mom," he snapped, jiggling the breaks until they finally gave. Then, he disappeared into his room and Rina winced when she heard the door slam.

**Yeah, I updated fast, but that's because during the first couple weeks of summer, I usually have no life. So...what do you think of Taro? Shai? Kaida? They're all major characters, so if you don't like them, well...tough. I promise, Taro will get some guy friends soon. :). Well, can't wait to hear from y'all -that's my youth pastor's fault right there. **


	3. Chapter 2

** Edited the prologue again. I took a suggestion from a reviewer. You know who you are, and thank you very much. I wholeheartedly agree with you, and thank you for your eloquently written critique. **

** You guys are really getting' spoiled with my frequent updates, aren't ya? I told you I have no life, though. Things usually start getting really busy from this point on, though, so don't get too used to this. I have an original story I plan to finish at the end of the summer, but I'm at a MAJOR block with that, so good ol' Taro has been getting all my attentions, lately. Writing wise, I mean. So, these characters you meet in this chappie are the only main heroes, but, true to my wiring style and the style of the show, there should be many coming and going throughout the whole thing, this is of course not counting my baddies. Yeah, so, we're going to start with some PLOT in this one. And, it is a little more lighthearted at the start, since Kane seems to do that to the family. I kind of wanted to show not **_**all **_**life for a bender in Republic City is total crap- just most of it. **

**That aside, enjoy. And please, PLEASE, keep up with the well-rounded constructive criticism, thank you!**

**And, what's this? Taro actually eats? I noticed he pushed away food a lot in the last chapter, because he tends to just shut down whenever he doesn't want to talk about something. I do the same thing, so I guess that's a little sprinkle of me in there. **

**Oh yeah, and, just so I can keep trend with the pronunciation of Mai in TLA, assume whenever you see an ai it's pronounced as ay. So it's Kayda. I know it should by the long I, and likewise with Shai, but I'm taking artistic liberties here! **

_Chapter Two_

"Hi, T-Ro!" Kani squealed energetically as Taro wheeled into the kitchen.

He grumbled some sort of reply, his eyes glassed over as he went to the table.

"Rough night?" Rina teased, pushing a plate of food toward her son.

"Nightmares," he muttered around a heaping mouthful.

Rina was about to question the matter, when Kani suddenly blurted, "You forgot what day it is, didn't you, T-Ro?"

"No, Kani," Taro assured, wiping the remnants of his milk off his face. "I didn't forget it is your birthday." He winked. "I'm off school today, so- I'm yours. Within reason, of course."

"You may have just signed your soul over for destruction," Rina laughed, noting the ecstatic glimmer in Kani's eyes. "Though, I think she might behave, because if she doesn't, I will not buy her sweet buns to eat with dinner on the way home from work today."

"Momma," Kani said, slowly. "Is - Papa going to be home for dinner tonight?"

"What don't you ask me yourself?" a male voice said, and Kani's face brightened ten shades.

"Papa!" she squealed, leaping out of her chair and into his arms. Rina's face was a little less elated and little more concerned.

"I thought you had work today, Kane."

"I was given the day off," he said, setting Kani back down in her seat. He walked over and pecked his wife.

"Off?" Taro asked, in disbelief. He tired to remember the last time he'd seen his father, and concluded it had been a week - since Kane had started the second factory job.

"I couldn't miss my favorite girl's birthday," Kane said, sitting down. Kani giggled and climbed into his lap.

"Your '_favorite_ girl'?" Rina questioned, feigning horror.

"Don't worry, Rina. You're my favorite _woman_."

"Always the diplomat, aren't you? You really should be a politician." She swatted him with her napkin.

"Would certainly make it easier to put food on the table." He folded his arms. "I would have to join the equalists first, so- Taro, how would you feel about being disowned?"

"I'll give it some thought," he said, in that serious sort of sarcasm he had that made his audience do a double take. Once they realized he was joking, though, the whole table was laughing again.

Rina sighed a bit, looking at the clock. "Well, I have to go. I'll see you all tonight at dinner?" she looked uncertainly over at Kane.

"Absolutely," he nodded.

"Good," Rina said, though she was frowning. Kane and Taro knew she was thinking about money. Taro hated the fact that money worries kept his mother from enjoying a night with her husband. His parents were still in love, but he couldn't remember the last time they were able to just do something with just the two of them.

Rina cleaned up her place at the table, and tied her over coat over the nurse's uniform she wore to for her job at the clinic in an area of Republic City commonly called Benders' Borough. Crime rates, both bending and non-bending related, were high in the area, the working environment was equally as seedy, she hardly had any income and mostly that depended on charity donations to begin with, the hours were brutal, the commute was long and tedious, but the people there, at especially the healers and the other nurses she worked closely with, were a large step above what she'd known in the past. She didn't work in the maternity wards anymore, but from what she heard the nurses there were equally more compassionate. Most of them were benders, anyway- Benders' Borough was a slum, after all. Slums had "lower" standards when it came to hiring.

"I'll see you all tonight. Dumplings and rice in the fridge for lunch. Be good," she added as a warning to her children, before leaving the apartment.

"Papa, can we go to the park today?" Kani asked, batting her eyelashes sweetly.

"Whatever you want, sweetheart," Kane agreed. "Taro, what do you say?"

"I'm all for it." He set down his fork after finishing off the last of his breakfast. "As long as Kani doesn't try to wrestle me into playing chase again and throw a temper tantrum when I tell her I can't." He rose a critical eyebrow at her.

"I was three years old. You're really still bugging me about that one?"

"Forever and for always," Taro agreed.

"You're the worst brother ever." She rolled her eyes.

TBR

"This looks like a good spot," Kane said, surveying the shady patch beneath the wide branches of the old tree. Republic City's central park was teaming with pedestrians and wild animals alike, and Kane was frankly proud of himself for finding such a good spot with such high demand. Triumphantly, he spread the panic blanket out of the soft, lush grass and placed down the wicker basket filled with their lunch. "Do you want to stay chair or come down here on the blanket, Taro?"

"Chair," Taro answered without hesitation, still not fully recovered from the humiliation of what he'd come to call the "Kaida incident".

"Your wish is my command," Kane nodded, digging around in the basket for their food. He poured them all tea and passed out the dumplings and rice, blessing it with a little prayer before they all dug in.

Kani wolfed down her meal, and then found herself a couple of kids her age, quickly engaging in some sort of game. Kane laughed watching his daughter, and then turned his gaze onto Taro. The boy was staring at the empty bowl in his lap, eyes calculating. He was probably trying to think of something to say, but couldn't come up with anything.

"It's a miracle you're so skinny, Taro. Every time I see these days, it's when you're eating." He smiled.

Taro laughed, though it was more of a truth than a joke. Kane and Taro only saw each other during mealtimes as of late, if it all. Their school and work schedules always kept them apart. Taro remembered a time when his father was mostly home, when he could spend time with his parents on more than just special occasions. He remembered when he had the long conversations about his struggles in school, the difficult waterbending forms that were frankly only meant for the able bodied, the bullies that made fun of his healing abilities. They could never relate fully, but they were always there to lend an ear and give good-natured if a little naive advice. Now, those conversations could only be had with Shai, if at all. He could feel his once close-knit family slowly unraveling around him, and it was frankly all his fault.

"So, your mother tells me you're looking for work in the city. How's that going?"

"It's - not. I've actually gotten downright laughed out of job interviews a few times," he tried to act light hearted about it, but there was no hiding the fact he was discouraged.

"Look, Taro -"

"I know you're going to say I don't have to do this, I shouldn't worry myself, blah, blah, _blah_. I'm _not_ backing down from this."

"I was never going to say that. I was going to say I'm glad that you're making a stand for yourself like this. You're demanding that they not see bender, but that they see Taro. Just Taro." Kane sighed. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," Taro said, awkwardly, though it was never about that, and that would never come true. He just wanted to find a way to be able to help his family. What could a crippled kid like him do to "make a stand" for benders' rights?

Heavy silence followed, and, amid the quiet, Taro felt a question burning on his lips. It had been building up since Kane announced he had the day off. "Dad, did you get fired from your jobs?" Taro blurted, before he could change his mind about asking.

Kane's eyes went wide, and then he just frowned. "I was hoping to tell you all together at dinner tonight," he said. "No, I didn't get fired. I quit."

"You - _quit_? The lines in unemployment offices are wrapping around street corners and you _quit _your job?"

"Let me finish," Kane reasoned. "I quit because I got a better, high paying work placement at another factory."

"That's great, Dad!" Taro nodded, a mixture of joy and relief flooding his voice. "Now you can spend more time at home with us. You know, see me do things other than eat?" Then Taro noticed his Dad wasn't smiling.

"The job isn't in Republic City, Taro. It's in the Fire Nation."

"So, we're leaving Republic City? Well- I'll miss Shai so much it'll hurt, but I'll be glad to get away from the smog, I guess, and -"

"The factory is in a strictly non-bender district of the Fire Nation. We can't -"

"-Move there because of me. So, what, you're just going to leave us here alone? You can't do that to Mom and Kani."

"I'm not doing anything _to _Mom and Kani. I'm doing it _for _them." He bit his lip, watching Kani and her new playmates chasing each other about the area. "I'll be home for holidays, and I get a two week leave every six months, so it's not like I'm totally disappearing from your lives. I'll send you guys the money, and I'll write to you every day. I'll miss the three of you so much, but it's the only way."

"No, no, no. I doesn't have to be. It _can't _be. I'll - I'll get _two _jobs. I'll work on my off days from dusk till dawn. I'll work on holidays. I'll- "

"And how is never getting to see you any better for Rina and Kani? You play just as pivotal a role in their lives as I do." He shook his head. "Besides, Taro, you're a _kid. _ Bender's don't get to stay kids very long - don't throw it away for me."

" -Like you threw it all the way for me?"

"Taro, that's totally different. We love you, more than you can imagine. Don't you dare blame this situation on yourself, do you hear me?"

Taro was prepared to reply, but a suddenly wail from Kani cut them both off. Both men turned to see her on the ground, surrounded by her companions and clutching at her knee. Kane moved to help, but Taro put hand up. "I'll handle it." He hurried over to her. "Here, let me have a look," he said, gesturing for her to climb into his lap. As she complied, he noticed her friends all staring at him, but he pretended not to notice and put his focus on his sister. "Well," he said, "that looks_ terrible_. We're going to have to call the hospital." He shook his head in mock dismay. "They'll probably have to amputate, and then you'll end up in chair like me."

"S-S-Shut up, T-Ro!" she snapped through tears.

"Oh, stop whining, child. I can heal this in a second. With your own tears, too. Isn't that neat?"

"Is-Is that even allowed?"

"If it's for a work purposes, then yes, and Mom always says my job is to protect you, _so_-" he moved his hand a little, drawing the water from her tear-stained cheeks and moving it above the cut. Kani winced at first, then suddenly relaxed the water began to glow around the tiny scrape. "And- " Taro retreated his hand, and the water fell to the ground, revealing Kani's fully-healed knee- "presto!" He ruffled her hair a bit. "So, you're not going to die, after all."

"Thanks, Taro. Now, let me go play."

"Ah-ah-ah." He held her tightly, and she squirmed. "Who's the best brother ever?"

"You are, Taro! Just let me _go._"

"Go have fun, you little brat." He flicked her on the bridge of her nose, and turned her lose to go be with her new friends, but they all backed up when she approached.

"Your brother is a _bender_," one said, pointing an accusatory finger at Kani. "That means you're probably a bender, too!"

"My brother says it's contagious," one unhelpfully offered, and then all the kids screamed and ran away from Kani.

"It's not _contagious_," Kani whispered, fresh tears springing up in her eyes. "And I'm _not _a bender."

"Kani, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

She cut him off by leaping into back his lap and sobbing into his shoulder. "It's okay, T-Ro," she muffled into the sleeve into his shirt. "You were only trying to help. I like playing with you better, anyways. Wanna play 'what shape is that cloud' with me?"

"Sure thing, Kani," he said, and she climbed down again. "Can you help me down? I want to do this the right way."

"Sure, T-Ro," she said, wiping away the final traces of her tears with her sleeve, and then assisting her brother into a comfortable position in the grass. They laid side-by-side watching the puffy white clouds go by, and Taro told her ridiculous stories that made his sister giggle and forget about all the cruel children. He was in the middle of a particularly creative tale, when he heard a familiar voice address him.

"Roller-boy, we have _got _to stop meeting like this."

"Oh, _come on_," he muttered, titling his head to see none other than Kaida smirking down at him.

"Who's the girl?" Kani said, narrowing her eyes up at the other bender. "She a friend of yours?"

"No. She's more of a -_very _distant acquaintance."

"Pretty harsh, for the girl who saved your life."

"Kani, can you give us a minute please?"

"Sure," Kani stood up, but before she left she whispered a little too loudly. "She gives you any trouble, let me know. I'll beat the poo out of her for ya."

"Your sister is - _charming,_" Kaida laughed, sprawling out on the grass next to Taro.

"Ah, she's a good kid. Hasn't exactly had it easy." He smirked over at her. "I see you have managed to stay out of jail."

"You're not exactly guilt-free either," she raised an eyebrow. "I saw that healing stunt- _T-Ro_."

"Not you, too," Taro groaned.

"It's either that or Roller-boy," she grinned.

"I suppose just calling me 'Taro' isn't good enough for you?" he asked, hopefully

"Absolutely not."

"T-Ro it is."

"That's what I thought. Want to take a walk? I want you to meet my friends."

"I'd rather not. I should get back to my - _crap_."

Kaida grinned wickedly. "You need help again, don't you?"

Taro bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut, nodding as Kaida laughed hysterically. "Okay. _Fine_," she said, dramatically exaggerating the last words to make herself sound inconvenienced. "But only if you take me up on that walk offer. I mean, it's the least you can do after three times of this."

"Deal," Taro sighed out.

Soon, they were headed toward small bench not out of sight from Kane and Kani, where and boy and girl were seated. The girl had pale skin, short-cropped brown hair that angled her face, and sharp liquid-gold eyes. She wore black leather pants and a red biker's jacket, and she had such an intense look in her eyes, it made Taro a little uncomfortable with eye contact. The boy wasn't much better, possessing the same sharp eyes ,dark hair, and unapproachable aura. Firebenders.

"Taro, meet my brethren. This is Akiko-" she pointed to the girl-"and Hiroki. They're fraternal twins. Well- _triplets, _if you count me."

"Which we don't," Akiko snorted, rolling her gold eyes, though a semblance of a smile was playing across her ruby-red lips.

"Anyway, we up make the Four Nations Quartet together."

"But there are only three of you-"

"We're the _best_ company you're ever going to have in the bender community," Kaida cut him off, seeing the dangerous flash in Akiko's eyes. "Have a sit, T-Ro!" Taro glared at her.

"Kidding. Lighten up a bit." Kaida was oblivious to Akiko's eye roll. "So, T-Ro," Kaida crossed her legs, "how's the job search coming?"

"Uh-"

"Thought so," she grinned. "My offer still stands."

"Your _offer_?" Akiko snapped. "Kaida, tell me you didn't-"

"Oh, but I did. Chill your sparks, though, hotshot. He's not biting."

"No. I'm not. I'm happy you guys are doing the whole 'embrace your bending' thing, but - that's not me. I'm going to head back now-" Taro cautiously started to move away.

"I'll walk with you," Kaida offered, much to Taro's annoyance. "You know," she said, once her friends were out of ear shot, "you really should consider taking the job. It'd be good for you, to not only accept that fact that you're a bender- but to _relish _it."

"So, what is this mysterious job you keep talking about?"

"Can't say unless you take it," she smiled coyly.

"Wow, that makes me feel secure and like absolutely nothing can go wrong with that plan."

She laughed. "We're on to something great," she said, eyes dreamy and fair off. "It seems small and unimportant, but it's evolving into something radical." She dropped her voice a few notes. "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but we think we might know who the Avatar is."

"What language are you _speaking_?"

"Hey, T-Ro!" Kani's voice cut through the conversation. "Dad says we have to go now!"

"I should go, too, T-Ro," Kaida said. She pressed a folded up piece of paper into his hands. "Call me sometime, okay?" And she hurried away to join her friends.

TBR

"How is your progress?" the silky voice broke through the shadows, addressing a group of masked chi-blockers.

"Savoir," one of the chi-blockers scurried forward, dropping into a bow. "Our captive is very uncooperative."

"Only because your methods are weak," the masked, hooded figure growled, stepping forward. He approached the captive and placed his hand on the shivering bender's forehead. "We're going to try this again, boy. Who. Is. Your. _Avatar?"_

**Dun. Dun. Dun. What's this, benders who still like being benders? Say what? And no, that dude is not Amon. One of Amon's successors, but you probably already know that. Just trying to clear the air on that one. **

**Kaida has not filter between her brain and her mouth. Just sayin'. T-Ro is his official nickname now! Which is definitely a lot more PC than "Roller-boy". **

** I personally like the scene where Taro heals Kani, just because it shows he is a good bender in his own right, even if he's not good at in the eyes of his teachers/fellow students. I mean- Katara was a beast enough waterbender to bend her own sweat, I figured, why can't T-Ro heal with tears? Also, I figured it shows just how important his family is to him and solidify the feeling of guilt he has, and also that his bending brings about good in some ways Taro doesn't even realize yet. He's such a softie! ;D. **

** Oh yeah, and I know Akiko sounds generic, but she is named in honor of a friend from a looooooooooooooong time back from Japan. Well, she was more like an older sister to me than anything, but yeah. A school friend of mine always joked and said I never had any common names. So..here's a common-ish name by the standards of the Avatar world for ya, buddy! And Hiroki was the name of the brother of one of the main characters in a show I watched as a kid. Nostalgic, sentimental character names, FTW! **

** That said, review, review, review! And have an amazing day!**

** -Moonlit **


	4. Chapter 3

**I'm sorry for the lack of updates. This chapter was really hard to write. **_**Gah. **_**I had such writers block on this. I can't tell you how many times I wrote, rewrote, deleted, and then rewrote again. It was a pain in the rear. Still not happy with it, but oh well, it's more of a connector chapter, anyway. The next one should be better. **

**I've added a little foreshadowing-okay, a lot of it, and the plot continues to progress. Which, is kind of the point of a story, isn't it? **

_Chapter Three_

"And we have here a map of- _Pupil Taro!" _

Taro nearly leapt out of his chair with the harsh reprimand from his teacher. For once, he hadn't meant to lose focus, but the sleepless nights between his afterschool assignments and constant failed late-night trips to the unemployment offices were starting to take their toll. He'd just meant for his eyes to close for a second- he certainly hadn't meant to fall asleep. Not after all the horrors he'd been finding in the world of his dreams, as of late-

"Forgive me, Master San," Taro murmured, bowing low.

"Seeing as today is an inspection day," Master San says, approaching with flashing eyes, "I am doing you a favor right now, wayward pupil. If the equalists' officials do not like what they see, it could be the death of you." Taro bit back a scream as Master San struck him square in the shoulders with a switch, so hard it made Taro slump forward onto his desk. The class didn't even have heart the snicker, for they'd all suffered the same fate and knew it was no laughing matter. They only averted San's gaze as he stomped back to the front of the room, all mourning the injustice done to their fellow pupil. Striking students was forbidden in non-bender schools, after all, yet strongly encouraged in the Academy of Equality. "So, I was previously saying- " Master San continued, but was cut off by the gong. "We will continue tomorrow. Remember your reading assignments." He bowed in dismissal. "Until our next meeting, Pupils."

"Are you okay?" Shai said softly, gracefully gliding over to Taro.

"I'll be alright," he assured, sighing quietly.

"You look tired," she noted.

"I _feel _tired," he agreed. "I haven't been sleeping well."

"Well, you have bad timing. Inspection days require your utmost performance. Tell me you went over your forms, Taro."

"What's the point? I can never get them right, even when I practice."

"Do you have something against _trying_?" She shook her head. "No wonder you can't get a job!" Silence. Shai's grey eyes bugged with the realization of what she said. "Taro, I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay. Really." He sighed. "I've made peace with the fact that no one really wants me. No one routes for a bender, after all." He looked down, so Shai missed the disappointment and shame in his eyes.

"Yet, you keep trying."

"So, I'm a bit of an optimist?" He smirked a bit, and Shai rolled her eyes. "My next class is coming up soon. Good luck on your from drills. You'll need it, with equalists breathing down your neck."

"Don't remind me," she said, giving him a little wink and playfully swatting at his head. A little puff of air ruffled his short brown hair.

"Did you just _airbend _at me?" he said, raising his eyebrows at her, unable to hide the grin.

"'Bending of any kind is forbidden in the hallways'," she said, quoting the student handbook. "What would make you think _I _would break the rules?" She smiled coyly.

"You're lucky there's no water nearby, missy," he pretended to scold.

"You wish. You're a healer, not a fighter. We all know it."

"Touché." He rolled to a stop outside his next classroom. "I'll see you this afternoon after school?"

"You're staying again?"

"Going to give the unemployment office another go."

"Taro-"

"Don't say it."

"I won't," she sighed, sweeping her black braid off of her shoulder. "Just- oh, never mind. When you set your mind to something, there's no stopping you, is there?"

"Never."

"You're going to regret that someday."

He rolled his eyes. "Go to class, Shai."

TBR

"You all have done these drills before countless times," Sifu Mina- the primary waterbending master at the Academy of Equality- reminded her pupils as she paced among their ranks, flanked by an equalist official and two chi-blockers. "I trust you have all memorized the sequences according to the numbers given in your practice scrolls." Taro's eyes widened a bit, trying not to show panic as he moved with the class through the warm-ups as best he could. "As per usual, I will call the number, and you will perform the corresponding sequence. I, however, will not be judging you. That is for Official Tama to decide." She turned one last gaze on her students before speaking again. "Sequence three."

Craning his brain, Taro tried not to make it obvious as he attempted to copy to fellow benders in the basic waterbending practice forms. His gaze flickered to Tama as her deep blue eyes scanned the room with razor-sharp precision. Not a single fluid movement, not even the slightest curve of a wrist or ankle, seemed to slip from the official's eyes. She did her job well. She, along with the officials watching the other three types of element bending, was there to make sure the equalists' goals were being met- to make sure bending was squelching out and dying. To make sure benders never knew how to fight with their abilities, to make sure they weren't getting the false notion they had the power and means to successfully to rebel.

Tama approached Taro, and he tried to ignored her as he stumbled through his forms, yet he couldn't break his gaze away from here. There was a familiarity to her, but he suspected it was only because they both shared Water Tribe heritage, and he otherwise didn't think about it. She smirked down on him, giving an incredulous snort. "Pathetic," she said, and then she moved on, just as Sifu Mina called for sequence eight- one of the drills that had actual bending in it.

The stream of water from the clay pot before Taro was wavering a leaky as he struggled to keep it in compliance. Sifu Mina connected eyes with him across the room and gave him a weary and disappointed glance. It was enough to brake his concentration, and the water suddenly slipped from the grasp of his mind, spilling all over him and the floor. Snickers erupted all around the room as fellow benders easily kept up the basic movements.

"Pupil Taro, do not just stop like that, you must-" Mina started to scold.

"Mina, that's alright," Tama said. "I've seen quite enough from _that _one."

"You haven't seen him heal-"

"I'm here to look for signs of rebellion, Mina," Tama said, sharply. " I know his records. A healer like him would never have the power to rebel. Pull him out. Now."

"As you wish, Official. Taro." She crooked a finger at him, beckoning him to her. He sighed, wheeling in and out of the other waterbenders to wait by his teacher's side. He could see Tama more clearly from his new position, and he noticed a little detail he overlooked in his concentration on the forms- her sleeves were slightly too long for and covered her arms all the way to her palm, when the spring outside was slowly giving way to summer.

"Your wrist is in the wrong position," Tama said, fatly, staring down one of Taro's fellow benders, who was rather talented and not accustomed to correction.

"And how would _you_ know, Official?" he snorted. "What are you, a master waterbender?"

Her nostril flared slightly, and she turned his back on him, and, with all the sting of a scorpion-bee, whirled suddenly around and struck a pressure point near his neck, causing him to collapse on the floor, out cold. "No. I'm _not._" She straightened up, frowning at all the other waterbenders, who had paused the sequence to stare. "Your master has not instructed you to stop. Continue the sequence."

TBR

"I'm telling you, it was the scariest thing of my life," Taro muttered, shaking his head.

"Yeah, chi-blocking has the effect on people. That's kind of the point," she grinned, while performing three turns in a row before landing a little off balance, she folded herself into an arabesque, holding it for about ten seconds before stumbling again.

"Yeah, but, that woman- the Official- she got all testy when a boy in my class jokingly called her a master waterbender."

"Equalists do tend to get a bit miffed when you accuse them of being the very thing they work to oppress, even jokingly."

"This was different, though," he said. "It's starting to get blistering hot outside, and the woman was wearing long sleeves, like she was trying to hide something on her arm- or _wrist_." He absentmindedly stroked his thumb over his brand.

"Benders aren't equalist officials, Taro. That would just be pointless," Shai said, sitting down to take a drink of water.

"I know but- what if she was a bender and now is somehow- _not_?"

Shai snorted. "Listen to yourself! Taking _away_ someone's _bending_? Yeah, next you'll be telling me someone can have the power bend all four elements!" She laughed.

"Wouldn't that be a curse," Taro joined in, shaking his head, though the thought was still not quite dead. "Where would I be without you to keep me sane?" he joked, just so she wouldn't worry.

"Still worrying about an equalist official you'll likely never see again." She went for another go at an arabesque, but held it for even less time and ended up falling_. _"_Crap. _I can never get it right."

"Are you okay, Shai?"

"Fine," she said a little bitterly, getting up. "I wish there really were a way for someone's bending to be removed. Having a dance teacher would make all this a_ whole_ lot easier." She grabbed his shoes, sliding them back onto to her feet. "Would make finding you a job a little less challenging, too."

"Speaking of finding a job-"

"You have to go now, don't you?"

"Yeah. You know how those lines are."

"Not really, but_ you_ certainly do." She hoisted her bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you, tomorrow. Try not to have nightmares about scary equalist tonight," she laughed, but Taro winced a bit, his horrific dreams flashing before his mind's eye. Shai didn't notice, though, for she was already on her way to gather the rest of her things and head home for the night.

Taro sighed, heading out into the busy streets, minding himself having learned from his run-in with Kaida. He made it to the unemployment office with little to no interference, but as he stared at the particularly long line, a feeling of dread washed over him. He suddenly didn't want to wait in a line for hours, just to come up empty handed again. Sure, he still wanted that job, to do his fair share, even though his dad's new job eliminated the need for it, but- relinquishing his otherwise tireless search for a job for just one little night wouldn't hurt, would it?

Besides, thinking of Kaida had put a thought in his head- one that would probably lead nowhere, but that was still better than never trying at all. Kaida seemed to know a lot about where benders stood in the community than anyone else he'd ever known. If there were even the slightest chance of being free of the curse of his bending- he had to know. It was a long shot, but he was willing to go great lengths if there were even a chance he could bring his family back to the close bond it once had- to bring his father home from the Fire Nation. It wouldn't be fair to Kani and his parents if he didn't examine every possibility.

So, he very ceremoniously turned his back on the unemployment office and wheeled himself over to a payphone, slipping in a coin. He listened to the dial tone, frozen for a moment before he hastily typed in the number he was slightly embarrassed to have memorized. He held his breath while it rang.

_Ring. Ring. Ring-_

_ "Hello?"_

Taro almost jumped at the sound of her voice.

"Kaida, it's me-"

_"T-Ro! It's been awhile. I was wondering if you were ever going to call me!"_

"Well, to be honest, I never was going to."

_"Wow. You're a real flatterer. You must get all the women at your school with that charm."_

"I didn't call you to banter."

_"No duh, T-Ro. So, what's up? Change your mind about my offer?"_

"No. I was actually wondering if we could meet. I need to ask you something."

_"Can you just ask me over the phone?"_

"No."

_"Ooooh! Sketchy! I like it! So, we have a deal. I'm going to give you the address of my day-job. I work in a tea shop in Benders' Borough. We can talk there."_

TBR

"So, T-Ro, what can I do ya for?" Kaida asked, placing two steaming cups of tea down at the small corner table. "On the house, by the way."

"Thanks," he took a cautious sip of the ginseng, carefully calculating his approach. "Do you remember the monthly inspections the equalists do at the Academy of Equality to prevent rebellions?"

"No. I never went to the Academy."

"You- what?"

"Bending in public isn't the only illegal thing I've done, T-Ro." She grinned around the rim of her cup. "I'm the best company I bender can have- and the most dangerous."

"Okay. I'm starting to like my decision to not take you up on your job offer," he said, pursing his lips. "But, I'm also feeling confident about you knowing the answer to my question."

"Well, lay it on me. No more beating around the bush," she said, taking another sip of tea.

"Do equalists know how to take someone's bending away?"

She nearly did a spit take, tea spilling out of her mouth and dribbling down her chin in her shock. Taking a hard swallow, she placed down her cup, opening her mouth and then closing it, obviously at a loss for words. She just blinked at him, totally shell-shocked.

"Do you know or not?" Taro said, impatiently.

"I do-but-" her eyes suddenly brightened with an idea. "You're going to have to do something for me before I give you an answer."

"Let me guess. It's 'yes, they can' and you're going to try and influence me so I never try to seek out their methods, right?"

"What a genius," Kaida said, rolling her eyes. "Now, come with me." He stayed put. "You won't regret this. Trust me."

"Fine. But at least tell me where you're taking me."

"You ask too many questions," she said, already sprinting out of the shop. Taro rolled his eyes and followed after her down the streets of the infamous Benders' Borough, past run-down shops and apartment buildings, and past sketchy characters smelling of less-than-noble substances. Just as Taro was about to abandon the whole adventure, deciding it wasn't at all worth the frustration, Kaida turned into an alleyway, yanking Taro along with her when he tried to get away. She came to the back of the alley and kicked on the stone wall three times. "Open up!"

"A polar bear-dog is a good way to travel," a voice came from behind the stone, making Taro flinch in surprise.

"Seriously, Fin? You know it's me!"

"A polar bear-dog is a good way to travel," the voice instead, and Kaida rolled her eyes.

"Note to self: stop letting Hiroki train the newbies." She rubbed her forehead. "_Fine. _Yes, but a sky-bison can fly."

"Welcome, sister," the one called Fin said, and suddenly the an opening appeared in the wall , to reveal a twelve-year-old earthbender grinning at Kaida. "Ready for tonight, chief? See you've brought a friend." He earthbent the wall closed after the two waterbenders climbed in.

"I'm trying to turn him," Kaida grinned, making Taro sigh in agitation.

"Doesn't looks like he wants to be here."

"Our methods are very effective, kid." She flicked Fin on the forehead as they led Taro down the tunnel, and when the fledging waterbender saw what was awaiting him at the end, he gasped in awe and shock.

"Wow," was all he found himself able to say.

Kaida grinned triumphantly. "T-Ro, I give you pro-bending!"

**I know- a long time for a short update. I'm really frustrated with this, because I couldn't get it just right at all, but I had to find a way to push past this in order to continue with the plot. I had to have a way for Kaida to enter back into the story. So, I'm not entirely ecstatic about this, particularly the lack of Kani, but I promise she'll return and she'll be important. Plenty of antics between her and Taro. Hopefully the ending will get you excited enough for the next chapter. (Even though I'm a decent-sized role in a huge operetta and I'm going to be too busy to write for awhile). **

** Anyway, please, please review. No flames. Just constructive criticisms, a simple "that was nice", ect. Thank you all!**

**-Moonlit **


	5. Chapter 4

**You'll notice the slight change to pro-bending. There's airbenders now. It's been hundreds of years and, with the amount of children Pema and Tenzin have, I suspected the airbenders would by now be in great enough number to be added onto a pro-bending teams. Also, the rules allow a little more aggressive play. Just a little artistic liberty, there, trying to make it less grounded in the world of Korra. Hope you don't mind too much. **

_Chapter Four_

Never before had Taro seen benders look this- _happy _or in this great a number all in one place. Kaida had taken him to a whole underground world, which seemed a city in itself given the number of its inhabitants. It was as if the entire bending community of Republic City were gathered around an arena raised above a pool of water. It was colored blue and red, with metal grates and electronic lights built in, dividing each colored half into three sections. He'd never seen its likeness before in his life, yet to look upon it gave him a strange sense of comfort, like an old friend returning to him after many years of separation. Despite his call to it, however, Taro couldn't help but feel uneasy, too. Just by looking at the place he could see several anti-bender laws being broken.

"Go on to the locker rooms, kid," Kaida said, nudging Fin with her foot. "I'll be along in a minute."

"You got it, chief!" he said, practically skipping off into the crowds, a big grin on his face.

Once he was gone, Kaida turned her grin on Taro. "So, T-Ro, what do you think of our little operation?"

"How long have you guys been hiding this down here?" he asked, unable to pick his jaw up off the floor.

"In this specific location- just a little under a year, but underground pro-bending matches have been a tradition since right after the Treaty of Equality was signed hundreds of years ago. We never wanted ourselves to forget a time when bending was _celebrated _instead of loathed. It's a game from the glory days, before the equalists." She sighed dreamily, and then quickly went back to grinning. "Come on, then, Taro. Let me introduce you to my team." Before Taro had time to protest, she dragged him very unwillingly along further into the underground tumult.

Everyone seemed to know her, and they gave her a respectable berth, smiling at her when she passed. She returned her companions' gestures as they made their way to a little complex of rooms carved into the walls by means of earthbending, no doubt. Kaida led him inside, to where a group of five other benders was gathered by a set of lockers. "Taro," Kaida said, "meet the Buzzard-Wasps." She gestured to the group, all of whom were staring at Taro curiously. "You already know Akiko, our primary firebender. And her brother, Hiroki, our alternate." She gestured to the two familiar faces. "Then, you just must Fin, our alternate earthbender." She playfully punched the boy in the arm. "And, finally, we have our primary earthbender, Shino, and only our only airbender, Keiji." She pointed to the only strangers- a tall, young adult male, solid and firm like his element, and a slightly scrawny boy about Taro's age.

"Stop showing off to the kid and get your gear on, Kaida," Akiko snorted, finishing lacing up her silver shin guard and tucking her deep purple helmet under her arm.

"'Kid'?" Taro mouthed, but Akiko just rolled her eyes.

"Who are we up against today?" Kaida asked, rummaging around in her locker.

"The Eel-Hounds," Hiroki said. "And watch your backs out there today, guys. Those guys have been practicing and they're on top of their game as of late. This is our last match of the regular season and we need it to qualify for the tournament."

"Relax, " Shino said, tying the green earthbender's sash around his waist. "We've been practicing our butts off, too. Remember? We can do this."

"I know we _can_," Akiko agreed. "But the question is will we?"

"Buzzard-Wasps," a man in uniform approached the group, "the match begins in five, please begin to make your way to the platforms."

"Looks like we're about to find out," Kaida said, putting on her helmet. "Hiroki, Fin, watch Taro. Make sure he doesn't try to skip out on us before the action begins!" She winked over her shoulder before sprinting out of the locker rooms with the her teammates.

"Come on, then, T-Ro," Hiroki said, a hand on the waterbender's shoulder. "Let's go find our spot. We're in the sky box, since we're alternates."

"You know, just in case they actually need us," Fin gave a little shrug.

They both led Taro across a short stretch, to a wooden tower that had a clear Birdseye view of the arena. They thankfully had a ramp, and soon Taro was with on the edge of his chair, trying to contemplate how to cut and run with Hiroki and Fin watching him like crafty little fox-antelopes. There wasn't that much of a crowd to take cover in up in the skybox like that, with the only others there being the Eel-Hounds' four alternates.

He had to think of another way to get out of there. It had been stupid to call Kaida in the first place, to let her drag him into this place. Maybe, if he left now, he could still make a trip to the unemployment office? No, it was too late for that, but at least his mother was used to him coming home empty-handed. She'd be none the wiser of the dangerous game he was playing- or watching, in his case. All he had to do was find a way to get past Hiroki and Fin, and he could put the whole endeavor behind him, forget Official Tama like Shai instructed, and just pretend the whole day never happened.

_"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to yet another exciting qualifying match in preparation for the official pro-bending tournament," _the announcer's sonorous voice boomed through the underground. "_Both teams need one more win to qualify them for entry, but both teams are playing their last match of the regular season. It's the end of the road for the losing team tonight, folks. The two opponents- the Buzzard-Wasps and Eel-Hounds- are both pretty evenly matched, their strengths and weaknesses balancing out to make for what is sure to be a thrilling match. Tensions are high on both sides as the benders prepare for round one!" _ Taro raised an eyebrow, watching the two teams line up along the innermost section of their respective halves of the arena. A bell sounded, and in a flash, fire, earth, air, and water were flying in dizzyingly confusing volleys back and forth. _"Both teams have started the round with guns blazing," _the announcer began his narration. _"Teijin from the Buzzard-Wasps was immediately knocked back into zone two by an enemy earthbender. And- oh! -it seems like Kaida has avenged her teammate, knocking the enemy firebender back into zone two, as well." _ Taro squinted down at what was going on- the puzzle and din of flying elements, yet strangely it all made somewhat sense to him.

Eyes wide as saucers, he watched as Kaida dodged volleys of air, bringing up the water from below the stage and going on the offensive with no mercy. She nailed one of her opponent's square in the gut and he lost footing, sliding straight back across the arena. _"And, Rya- airbender to the Eel-Hounds- has just been knocked into zone two by an enemy water- bender. Looks like young Kaida is on fire tonight. And so is Akiko, who seems to be holding pretty well against the attack of her enemy firebender!" _Suddenly a jet of fire sprung out towards Akiko, and she lost her footing, stumbling back into "zone two". _"Perhaps I spoke to soon, folks, but she is certainly not down yet. Both teams are neck and neck and this point, with two members still firmly planted in zone one and two holding their own in zone two. There are just thirty seconds left on the clock, folks, and it looks like we're going to have to go into a tiebreaker on the first-" _The announcer was cut off when Shino bent a disk toward the opposing firebender, who appeared to be getting tired, and sent her flying back, straight past zone three and right over the edge of the arena. _"And_ _Niama of the Eel-Hounds is in the drink." _The bell sounded. _"And thus concludes our first round, going to the Buzzard-Wasps, but they certainly aren't tasting victory yet. They seem to fully realize they are facing worthy adversaries in the arena tonight. You can feel the excitement bubbling up as the teams prep for round two." _Another bell. _"And off they go!"_

It happened so fast- and not even the keen eye of the announcer quite saw it at first. Amid the flashes of elements, a single cry of pain emerged, and all eyes snapped to Teijin as she slid all the out of the back of the arena. No one thought anything of it at first, until he never came up after being knocked into the water. _"A time out is being called by officials as they try and fish Teijin from the water." _Two uniformed waterbenders went out in the boat, plucking Teijin from the water. "Come on," Hiroki said, squeezing Taro's shoulder. "We need to see if he's okay." He found himself being ushered by the two alternates across to a small medic's building, where Teijin was sprawled out on a cot, holding his side and wincing in pain.

"What happened, Teijin?" Fin asked, in a panic, rushing up to the airbender's side.

"When the disk impacted it cracked a rib, according to the doctors. I'm probably out for the rest of the match."

"But we don't have an alternate!" Fin protested. "We'll have to forfeit the match if you don't play! Can they- heal you?"

"They've had their best healers on the job. They can only do a partial fix."

"- I could try."

Three heads swiveled towards Taro in surprise, but he just ignored them all and rolled forward, bending water out of the healers' clay pot right next to the bed. The water hummed and glowed and Teijin's face contorted into a mixture of relief and surprise as the waterbender worked. "Better?" Taro asked, returning the water to the pot, and Teijin's jaw dropped. All he found himself able to do was nod.

Luckily, he didn't have to say anything, because Kaida came rushing in, the other Buzzard-Wasps at her heels. "Teijin, we just lost the second round, but-"

"I'm okay to play," Teijin said, sitting up with no difficulty at all. "Taro healed me."

Kaida blinked at Taro, for once at a loss for words. "You did _what_?"

"Healed my broken ribs," Teijin said helpfully, poking Kaida in the arm.

"It's true, chief," Fin added, "you could learn a thing or two from him. I mean, you can't even heal a paper cut."

Kaida rolled her eyes. "You go on ahead. We have another round to go through. Akiko, can you tell the ref our airbender is just fine? I need to have a conversation with Taro."

"Don't take long, Kaida," Akiko said, squaring her jaw slightly. "We're this close to the championship tournament. You'd better not mess us up by being off your game. Let's go, guys." She lead the others out, and Kaida just sighed, tucking a strand of choppy brown hair behind her ear.

"_Thanks_, Akiko," she muttered when the firebender was out of earshot.

"Wow, she's nice to you," Taro muttered.

"She's team captain, what are you going to do?" She sighed a bit. "I used to be the Buzzard-Wasps' alternate waterbender, but our primary left us a long time ago. She was Akiko's best friend. I've- don't quite fill her shoes, I guess."

"The fourth member of the 'Four Nations Quartet'?" Taro guessed.

"You're pretty quick there, T-Ro." She nodded. "It's not the point, though. I kept you back here for a reason. We could use good healers like you in our medical center. Always a job for a bender here, which I why I kept offering you one. It'll pay better than anything you'll find in the city, no doubt."

"I've already told you- I don't want to take a job from you. End of story."

"Your loss," Kaida sang, rocking slightly back on her heels. "Just- stay for the rest of the match, at least."

"Fine," he muttered, following her out of the infirmary. Kaida hurried to join her team, while Taro and the alternates went back up to the sky box to watch round three commence. Taro didn't even realize he was on the edge of his chair until the bell sounded to start the match.

_"Teijin shows only slight signs of previous injury as he aggressively supports his team in the opening volley. I don't know how they did it, but the healers in the infirmary certainly seem to have done an excellent job, folks. For an airbender, he's certainly skilled at playing the offensive." _Taro's eyes darted back and forth, somehow able to easily decipher the flashing elements, a fresh rush pulsing through his body. _"But, it looks like the Eel-Hounds are taking advantage of the slightly weakened player, and they're hitting the poor kid with everything they've got. Airbenders always tend to be good dodgers, but he looks like he can't take more of this. His teammates are rushing to his aid, and- oh, Kaida just got knocked all the way back into zone three by the crafty skills of the enemy earthbender. That kid better watch himself with all the aggression he's showing. He's going to end up with a foul, possibly even pulled from the match. Looks like the Buzzard-Wasps' Shino is really stepping up to the plate in Kaida's defense- he has disks flying like knives out in the arena. And- sweet revenge is served, as his elemental parallel is knocked back into zone two- zone three- and over the edge he goes! Shino once again defending his Kaida."_

"_His _Kaida?" Taro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah, Kaida and Shino are dating. Now, _sush_!" Fin said, waving his hand to quiet Taro down.

_"Folks, it seems like Kaida isn't liking playing the damsel in distress as she struggles to stay on her feet in zone three- Yes, just as I thought. The pressure is too much and she is pummeled into the water by an earthbender's disk. And, with the way things are going with Teijin, looks like he'll be joining his teammate in the- hold on just a second! I don't believe it folks! The two airbenders just knocked each other out of the ring, and the shock seemed to be enough for Akiko to push Niama of the Eel-Hounds back to zone two. The Eel-Hounds are attempting to retaliate but-oh! Not aggressive enough! Akiko has just managed to push her enemy waterbender back a zone, giving the two remaining Buzzard-Wasps the green light to advance. With only a forty seconds left on the clock, it looks likely the Buzzard-Wasps are going to take the night, but in pro-bending, anything can happen. It's two on two now, and-oh! Niama was just sent over the side of the arena with a surprise attack by Akiko-and Shino takes out the last Eel-Hound! It's a knock-out and the Buzzard-Wasps are on their way to the tournament!"_

Hiroki and Fin cheered, clomping Taro hard on the back, and then darting from the sky-box to go congratulate their teammates. Taro found himself eagerly rolling after them, too excited to be surprised by his own enthusiasm. They arrived in the locker room to find a celebration going on, Teijin, Shino, and Kaida whooping and hugging in each other. Akiko was sitting on a bench, unlacing her gear.

"You guys were amazing out there!" Hiroki said, grabbing Kaida into a hug. "Way to do the Quartet proud, little waterbender!"

"We haven't won the tournament yet, Hiroki," Akiko said, throwing her stuff into her locker. "They almost had us out there for awhile. Kaida, you let your guard down and got knocked back to zone three because of it."

"Whoa, Akiki," Hiroki said. "Give the girl a break, she was just defending Teijin out there. Besides, Shino had her back, and you guys won, so calm down."

"Don't call me Akiki," Akiko said, impatiently. "All I'm saying is- we need to step it up if we're even going to begin to survive the tournament."

"Wow. Haven't you ever heard of lightening up?"

The Buzzard-Wasps all turned to stare open mouthed at Taro, and Akiko squared her shoulders. "What did you say -_T-Ro?" _ she spit his nickname out, bringing back her smoking fist.

"Akiki, don't stoop that low," Hiroki reasoned.

"Stop trying to defend me, I can handle this." Taro put his hand up, rolling closer to the other firebender. "Kaida did her best out there today. It could have just as easily been you getting knocked out of the ring like that. So, _cool it_." Akiko made no sound, only turned, nostrils flaring, and stomping out of the locker rooms.

"I've never seen someone stand up to Akiko like that and not get their face burned off," Fin said. "T-Ro, you have no fear."

"Thanks. This place- it has that effect on me."

"It has that effect on all us benders," Kaida agreed, storing her helmet. "Like I said, there's always a job for a bender down here, if you're up for it. You're one heck of a healer, T-Ro. They'd love to have you."

Taro was about to decline, until he thought of the rush, the joy, the sense of belonging that watching the match had brought him. Then, he thought of the money it would bring in for his family, the desire to provide for his mother and sister finally fulfilled- the best of both worlds, really. "Yes," he finally said. "I'm in."

TBR

"Hey, Mom! Kani! I'm back! The job search went well today! I actually got one, and-" his smiled faded when he noticed something seriously wrong in the atmosphere of the house. Kani came running out, tears running down her cheeks from red, puffy eyes, as she leapt into Taro's lap with such force the chair rolled back a few inches. She clung tightly to his neck, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Were were you? I was so scared!"

"I was out on a job hunt, like every night. Why, what's wrong?"

Kani slid off her brother's lap, shuffling over to the radio. "They've been broadcasting it all night." She turned the dial, and soon the crackling voices filled the room.

_"And still no word on the non-bender workers that were suddenly abducted from their workplace in Benders' Borough's medical clinic this afternoon. No one is sure by whom or why this crime was committed, but investigators are suspecting benders. All we know is- not a single worker who was a non-bender is left, and we're all very shocked and confused by the incident."_

"No," Taro breathed out, trying to stay strong for Kani's sake, though all he wanted to do was cry too. He had to hold it together- no, he had to do more than that. He had to take _action. _"Kani, get your coat and pack an overnight bag. We leave in ten."

"Why? Where are we going?" she asked, still in tears.

"We're going to find and save our mother."

TBR

"Lieutenant," the masked man said, shutting off the radio. "Bring me Official Tama."

"Yes, Savoir," the man agreed, disappearing from the office and returning moments later with the somber-faced young woman.

"Leave us, Lieutenant," Savoir said, waving his hand dismissively. When he was alone with Tama he said, "Our message has been sent. We will be getting the information we want soon. And I'm going to send you in to collect the package, once we are ready to strike."

"Of course, Savior."

"There is a catch, though, I'm afraid."

"Savoir, I'm afraid I don't-_-ah_." Tama gasped as she was kicked to her knees, the man placing a hand on her forehead and on her neck. Suddenly, she gasped, body going rigid with sudden energy. "I just restored your bending. Destroy them all, or I'll never take it away again." He grabbed her chin, pulling it up so she looked him square in the eye. "Bring me their Avatar. Alive."

**Ha, Akiko's lovely, isn't she? Not every character in the new Team Avatar can have such a lighthearted personality. There's got to be a brooder to balance out the spunk and good times, and I figured it could be a female, for once. Anyway, you've pretty much been introduced to the whole Team Avatar by now. I know four is the traditional number- Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Toph, and then Korra, Bolin, Mako, and Asami, but I'm going to make slight alterations to that to make it more my own.**

**And, what's this? Taro actively mediating? Do I smell more foreshadowing? **

**Please, please review guys. Thank you to all who read the least chapter. I really appreciate it! **


	6. Chapter 5

**I know you guys are probably looking for an epic fight scene, but this is more of a prepare for the first battle chapter. So, don't kill me please. There will be battles and action and bending galore in the next chapter. But for now, enjoy this one! A lot of back-story for you guys. **

**Also, the season finale of LoK gave me inspiration to tweak my plot just the tiniest bit. No major alterations, just slight modification to some of the back stories is all. You can see the influence in this chapter, too. **

**Oh, and by the way, I do ship Makorra, it' just- since in this AU Korra died, leaving Amon with pretty much no one who can really stop him, I figured Mako and Asami would end up together if there were no Korra in the picture. If there wasn't Makorra to think about, I would have shipped Masami, because I really, really do like Asami Sato, I just liked Makorra better. So, Makorra shippers, please don't kill me. I am one of you. **

_Chapter Five_

"Well, this is the address," Taro said, squeezing Kani's hand. "We're going to find her, okay? These people will know how to help." Maybe if he kept saying it, they'd both believe it. Taro sighed, raising his hand up to wrap on the door. Kaida opened up seconds later, already dressed for bed. Taro raised an eyebrow.

"Hi," she said, a little awkwardly. "Come in." She opened the door on an apartment that made Taro's family's look like a penthouse in the city's most elite of boroughs. It was a small one-room dwelling with a washtub in the corner with only a screen for privacy, a small kitchenette with a little table, a small closet, and sleeping pallets rolled up against the wall. "It's not much, but, we move with pro-bending, so we have to be portable." She winced a bit, a loud shout coming from downstairs. "Yeah. The teashop underneath us doubles as a tavern at night. And we're close by train tracks, so- good luck sleeping."

"Sleeping?" Taro asked. "You said you'd help us. That you know who did this- we should be rescuing my mother right now!"

"Taro," Shino- one of Kaida's two roommates- cut in. "There's a lot you don't understand about the nature of the enemy, here. An attack like this requires planning, cunning, careful division of forces. We won't be able to mobilize until tomorrow night."

"Exactly," Teijin agreed, carrying a tea tray over to the table, pushing the various books and papers atop it into a messy heap on the floor. "But, for now, we're here to answer any of your questions. Come, have some tea. You've had a rough night."

Taro took the peace offering, but felt a little awkward with everyone but him gathered around the table, seated on cushions on the floor. He couldn't think about such petty things now, though. He needed to get back his mother. Protecting his mother and sister was his main job. It was his father's last charge before he left for the Fire Nation. He wondered how long it would take his father to find out- did Kane already know? Was he going to come back? _Could _he come back?

"Kaida said over the phone you guys know who is behind the attacks," Taro said, deciding to get straight down to business.

"Of course we do- the _equalists,_" Teijin said, with a nod.

"Why would the equalists be behind a crime like this- against _non-benders_."

"The Savior- the leader of the equalists- has been trying to pinpoint our underground operation ever since he came to power, and likewise with all his predecessors, all the way back to the first Savior, Amon. The Savoir figures if he makes life difficult for us by blaming us for such a heinous crime, we'll cave and give him what he wants, " Shino explained.

"Which most of the other benders will," Kaida said, bitterly.

"Yes. I figured he'd be trying to snuff you out - but why go to such extremes? What does he want with you?" Taro asked. Kani blinked, more than a little confused.

"Because we've been working for years to restore the Avatar," Shino said, taking a slow sip of her tea.

"I've heard Kaida use that word before, but I don't know what it means," Taro said.

"What kind of bender doesn't know what the Avatar is?" Teijin muttered, mostly to himself.

Kaida slammed her teacup down. "One who has been misguided by those _idiots _who run our government," she snapped. Then, she drew a deep breath and stood up. "Shino, Taro, come with me. Teijin, you stay here and watch after Kani."

"What?" Teijin tensed, looking at the little girl as if she were a deadly chi-blocker. "Where are you taking them?"

"To put an end to this ridiculous lack of knowledge in T-Ro," Kaida said, throwing a coat on over her nightclothes. "I'm taking him to talk to Oma."

TBR

"A polar-bear dog is a good way to travel," Fin's familiar voice declared after Kaida's knock.

"Yes, but a sky-bison can fly," replied Shino. He grabbed Kaida's hand as they walked into the tunnel, Taro just a few paces behind and Fin staying to keep watch at the entrance.

"Why are you even doing this, Kaida?" Shino whispered, squeezing her hand a bit.

"His mother is involved, he has the right to know," she said.

"It's my secret, not yours," Shino said, firmly.

"Every bender has the right to know what the Avatar is, Shino. I'm not going to tell him _who _it is." She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Speaking of the Avatar and Oma- have you had any luck?"

"No connection to past Avatars, no other element besides earth. Kaida, what if-"

"It has to be you," Kaida said, her jaw set. "You're the only one who meets the qualifications, and-"

"Kaida, I understand, but if nothing happens soon, Oma is going to abandon the search."

"I know it's you. She won't give up on your training. She _can't._"

"Kaida, why are we even doing this? It's not like having an Avatar is going to change things. All we're doing is trying to live in peace. It's not like we're going to rebel."

"Shino, I'm not stupid," Kaida sighed out. "I know how low morale is among the other teams and benders in the league. The revelation of their Avatar- that could change things."

"So- you want me to be a figurehead?"

"No, not a figure head. A symbol. A beacon of hope."

"Hope of _what_? That things are going to stay exactly the same?"

"No. I-"

"Do you even know what you believe, Kaida?" She was about to open her mouth to reply, but they had reached the end of the tunnel. They didn't realize Taro had heard their whole conversation.

Taro noticed how much quieter, how much less riveting and exciting the underground world was in the late hour. It seemed so- sad, so desolate in the dark of the night. There were a few tents, but several benders were huddled in large groups, sharing blankets as they slept on the cold ground. A few others were awake, gathered around fires and glasses of tea or some stronger form of drink, and they smiled tiredly at the group when they passed by. He could almost feel the lack of hope of which Kaida spoke.

"People_ live_ down here?" Taro asked.

"Yes," Kaida said. " I myself came here when I was ten, but it's mostly benders who didn't want to get branded, though. Akiko and Hiroki live down here with their older sister and grandmother. They're direct descendants of some of the founders of our underground pro-bending operation."

"Really?"

"Yup," Shino answered for her. "They're true Satos."

"Wait- _Sato_? As in, inventor of the Sato-mobile Hiroshi Sato, _Sato_."

"Well, sort of. They're descendants of his daughter, Asami Sato. Her great-great-great grandkids, or something like that."

"I thought the Satos were a family of equalists. And I thought Hiroshi Sato only had a son."

"Well, yes and no. No one ever really heard about _Asami_, Hiroshi's first kid, because she was one of the main opponents of the equalists, while Hiroshi was one of the main weapons suppliers. After the War for Equality, Hiroshi found himself some younger non-bender woman to marry and he fathered Asami's half-brother, thus continuing the Sato dynasty. Asami herself married a firebender and helped found our league, as a sort of defiance to her father's betrayal."

"That's- messed up. Where do you even get this information?"

"By growing up outside equalist influences," Shino said matter-of-factly. "Well, here we are." He come to a stop at a small cavern that had been earthbent into the place, lit by torches along the walls. It was headed by a marble archway, with a lotus flower insignia carved onto it.

"Hello? Who's out there at this hour?" a voice said, and a pretty young woman with wavy black hair and an ornate indigo robe emerged from the shadows.

"It's us, Inari," Shino said, and she smiled tiredly at them. "Is Oma awake?"

"Yes. She is." She looked at Taro, frowning again. "Who is this?"

"Someone who's mother was taken in the raid on the clinic. He's going to come with us on the rescue mission. He needs to be debriefed on the Avatar."

"I see. And what is your name?" Inari turned to Taro.

"Taro, miss."

"Come in then, Taro. You two, as well." She led them into the tunnel, to a very large sleeping quarters, where Hiroki and Akiko were pouring cups of tea, and a very old woman in robes just like Inari's was seated on a stool in the corner. Akiko glared at Taro when she spotted him. "Gran Gran," Inari said, kneeling in front of the stool. "We have one who seeks information about the Avatar."

Taro shifted uncomfortably in his chair, eyes darting around the room, meeting everything but the other benders' eyes. His gaze locked with a picture on old black-and-white the wall, frayed around the edges with age despite being protected in a frame. In it a woman who looked a great deal like Inari had her arm linked through that of a young man with a scarf, another very muscular male standing beside them with a polar-bear dog standing behind him and a fire-ferret around his neck. He, too, had a young woman on his arm. They were all smiling, standing in a pro-bending arena underground, the layout very similar to the one Taro had just witness matches in that night. The woman who looked like Inari was holding a baby, and the woman on the muscular man's arm was noticeably round, but despite the smile and the sweet family moment, Taro saw the sadness in their eyes. And it made him sad, too, to see these people suffering so. He didn't know, why he felt such grief for them- he'd never seen them before in his lifetime. Sighing, he reached up and placed a hand on the picture.

"I never knew them. They all died before I could. Our founders. My great grandparents, Asami and Mako, and Mako's brother, Bolin. They were allies and friends of the last known Avatar, Korra. Bolin's wife- Sada- joined only after Korra's death, but she played just a pivotal a role in this place. She was an earthbender, like Bolin. Huge bounties were placed on their heads when the Avatar was killed and the equalists took over, for the 'crime' of assisting any resistance to the movement, but they managed to survive underground, much like many of the bender's after him." Taro looked over his shoulder to see the old woman- Oma, he assumed- standing directly behind him. She was staring down at him curiously. "Do you know what the Avatar is, young man?"

"No, I do not."

"Figured as much," Oma said, with a soft sigh. "Pity, what they keep from you just to hide any hope from you. Come, my child, and I shall explain everything." She shuffled over to her stool, gesturing him to follow. When she was seated, she folded her hands in her lap, closed her eyes, and sighed again. "There is one who was meant to keep balance and peace, acting a bridge between this world and the spirit world. In order to accomplish that, said person is granted the power to bend not only the element affiliated with their birth nation, but- the other three as well. When the Avatar dies, this Avatar spirit and power is passed on to another, in a cycle of nations. One born of Earth. One born of Fire. One Born of Air. And then one born of Water. So it has been for thousands of years. He possess the wisdom of Avatar's past, and it is always available to him. The Avatar has the power to stop even the most grim of conflicts, when properly trained in the four elements, and the mysterious Avatar state- a full accumulation of all the past Avatars' powers in one, typically characterized by a glowing of the Avatar's eyes." Taro nodded, raising a slightly skeptical eyebrow. Oma didn't seem to notice, and continued. "However, when the War for Equality emerged, the Avatar at the time- Korra- was yet young, and she fell to Savoir Amon. She lost her life fighting for the cause of benders. With their Avatar dead, resistance to the equalists was quickly squelched, and Savoir Amon tried to eradicated bending. However, he realized there were too great a number of benders and forced them to sign a treaty-"

"The Treaty of Equality," Taro agreed.

Oma nodded approvingly. "Asami, Mako, Bolin, and later Sada founded underground pro-bending not only to give benders a place to be themselves, but to be able to seek out the new Avatar in hiding from the equalists. They never succeeded, and several Avatars since have come and gone without even knowing who they were."

"Then, how do you know the Avatar even exists anymore." _Or even existed in the first place? _he mentally added.

"The spirits themselves told me so," Oma said, with a twisted smile. "Eighteen years ago, an unwed pregnant bender came to us, starving, ill, and desperate. She had been out on the streets, having lost her job when her boss found out she was pregnant out of wedlock. The day she came to us, I had a dream in which I was told that woman's baby was the new Avatar. She left one night when she was close to term to pick up supplies for her baby, but she has not come back since. We suspect her child has returned to us, though. Although, he-"

"Oma," Kaida said, rather abruptly cutting the old woman off, "thank you for telling him, but we are invading the equalists' prisons tomorrow to get back those non-benders. One of them was Taro's mother. We need to rest up as best we can. Come on, guys, we should get back to the apartment." She left in a haste, Shino following after her with an eye roll. Taro blinked up at Inari and Oma before rolling out after them.

TBR

_He saw the woman with her head bent down, struggling against the torrential rain. She was holding shopping bags close to her body, shivering in the cold. _

_ "You know," a voice said from the shadows, and the Savoir stepped out into the light of a streetlamp, "a woman in your condition should never be out alone, young Ami."_

_ "Get away from me, you monster!" she hissed. "I know what you want, and you can't have him." She placed a protective hand on her very rounded midsection. _

_ "And who are you to decide, bender? How are you going to defend yourself?" He grabbed her wrist, pulling her firmly to his side. _

_ "And how would it look, if the Savior was so ruthless as to kill a pregnant woman."_

_ The man laughed, reaching up to undo his mask, shoving it away in his pocket. "No one will know it was the savoir who did it. It is one of the benefits to being a man without a face." He reached up, stroking away a tear from her eye. "Don't worry, little Ami. I'm not going to kill him. I'm going to take him, raise him as my own. They're greatest hope will become their greatest threat- ouch." _ _He suddenly gasped, the shard of ice scraping against his abdomen. He used both hands to keep pressure on the wound, allowing Ami the chance to get away. She didn't even bother with the shopping bags, and was about to scamper away, when suddenly she lost control of her own body. She felt as if her blood were being ripped from her body, her limbs moving in strange contortions that should not have been at all possible. She felt her blood lurch, an invisible cable drawing her back towards the Savior. _

_ "You're- you're a bloodbender!" she gasped, through fits of pain. The realization dawned on her. "You're- a _bender."

_The man only responded with a laugh, continuing to contort Ami's body. He was about to open his mouth to further speak, when he heard a voice yell, "Hey, you! What are you doing?"_

_ He dropped his hold, eyes a little wide, and then started to back away. "I'll find your child, Ami. Mark my words. And I will destroy the Avatar within him. Mark my words." And he backed into the shadows. Ami was left, shivering and fearful. Suddenly, a shooting pain rang through virtually her entire body, and she gripped her midsection, crying out into the night._

_ "Hey, hey, are you alright?" _

_ A woman approached Ami, covering the shaking woman with an umbrella. _

_ "No, no, no," Ami said, another pain gripping her. "It's a month early. It's too soon."_

_ "It'll be alright. I'm a nurse. We're going to get you to a hospital. You'll be alright, Ma'am." She held out a hand, but the woman just stared at it , eyes wide with fear. "It's alright. I'll help you, I promise. My name is Rina. What's yours?"_

_ "Ami."_

_ "Don't you worry, Ami. We're going to get you some help."_

Taro gasped, his eyes flying open, a quiver running down his spine, the dream still lingering in his brain. A train howled on the nearby tracks, shaking the apartment. Kani squealed in her sleep, pressing herself up against his side. He sighed, wrapping his arm around her.

"Can't sleep?" he heard a voice whisper in the dark, and he squinted across at Kaida in the darkness.

"I just woke up from a weird nightmare," he whispered to her. "I think Oma's story influenced it."

"I see," Kaida said.

"-Kaida," Taro said, slowly, the vividness of his nightmare nagging him. "Why do you think Shino is the Avatar?" The surprise registered on her face, even in the darkness, but she answered.

"Well, he came to us when he was three years old. A couple of the kids from the pro-bending league were hiking in the mountains far from the city, and they found him crying over the dead body of a young woman- his mother. They saw the brand on his wrist and took him back to our site to be raised by Oma. He doesn't remember much about his childhood, except that his mother always told him she had to run away because there was 'no daddy for him' and the fact that they were benders. He also remembers that she was a waterbender that looked like slightly more earthbender, but not much else. Oma told him the story a few years ago, and he's been undergoing training since then, trying to unlock the Avatar within him."

"Do you really think he's the Avatar?"

"Of course I do," she agreed, resolutely. She sighed, shifting a bit on her bedroll. "What about you two," she nodded towards him and Kani. "What's your story?"

"There's not much to tell. I was born into a non-bender family, but my mother- Rina- has Water Tribe in her blood, so I lucked out and became a bender." He rolled his eyes in obvious sarcasm.

"What about your father? Is he in the picture?"

"Yeah, but we were in desperate need of money, so he took a job in the Fire Nation. It's on the non-bender side of the country, though, so we couldn't move there."

"That's horrible."

"It is what it is, I guess. How about you and your family?"

"They're all dead. Killed by equalists officials. I was a street rat for a week or so, but Inari found me one day and, when she discovered I was a bender, she took me back to the base. Been there ever since."

"I'm sorry," he said, quietly. "I couldn't image what it's like not to have a family."

"It's alright. The Satos are like family to me. It's almost the same."

"But you still miss them all, right?"

"You talk too much, T-Ro. You should go to bed." Kaida curled back up, closing her eyes again.

"Goodnight," he muttered, laying his head back down. But he knew he wouldn't be getting any more sleep that night.

**I just want to say the season finale of LoK was pretty amazing. A heck of a lot darker the TLA, but wow, it was good. Avatar State Korra is EPIC! And I actually called it w/ Amon's family connection. **

**Anyway, next chapter will be the raid on equalist headquarters. YAY! **

**Fun fact- Oma means "grandmother" in German. And Taro's real mommy gets a name! **

**Isn't that review button pretty? You should click on it. Constructive criticisms welcome and encouraged. Flames are not. **


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey new readers, returning readers, and cast mates (little shout out for you guys! I miss you all!) Yes, I am not dead. I have just been a **_**tiny**_** (sarcasm) bit busy lately, and battle chapters are kind of new to me so it takes me longer. Also, a very smart friend pointed out something that may be the cause of the VERY large disproportion between the amounts of faves/alerts and the number of reviews. Maybe I'm wrong and you guys would just rather sit back and let the story speak for itself, but my friend had a theory that it may be the fact that I ask for critiques. While it is true I love them and highly appreciate lengthy, well-rounded reviews, you don't have to do it. A simple "that was nice. Update soon" will also be very much loved. I don't mean to sound ungrateful it's just that- I try not to have less reviews than chapters. I'm not going to hold chapters for ransom or anything, because I'm having way too much fun writing about Taro, but I wouldn't hate it at all if you would drop a comment. Again, trying not to sound ungrateful. I just like feedback, so I know where I stand. **

**Anyway, moving on with the chapter. Crazy things go on. Like, crazy. WARNING: You may be slightly confused.**

**We actually had whole "science of bending" discussions at lunch breaks during rehearsals for an operetta I was recently in, and it gave me a lot more inspirations and logical explanations for things. And this chapter does jump points of view a little more frequently than normal, only to keep up with the fast-paced trend of battle scenes. **

**That being said, sit back, relax, read, review if you wish, and, above all, just have fun with this! I know I do!**

_Chapter Six_

"This is going to be brutal. We may as well just surrender now, because we're going to get killed tonight," Teijin muttered, as Kaida huffed from her perch on the hood of her Sato-mobile. "Man, I wish Kaida's little spy would get here already," he added under his breath.

"What?" Taro asked, blinking at his new companion's fidgeting.

"We have an informant on the inside-an actual equalist. A guard in the underground prison, where your mother and the other non-benders are being likely held. Only Kaida's really met him. They go way back, apparently."

_"Likely?"_

"He's not exactly very high up in equalist ranks. He doesn't really have an accurate record of who goes in. He just isn't supposed to let anyone with a prison brand out. He knows his way around, but we're not going to get any real information out of him." Teijin buried his head in his hand. "This is a stupid attack," he grumbled to his palm. "I mean, I know your mother is involved, but if it gets out that equalists committed a crime and framed benders-"

"It could stir distrust and inspire revolt," Taro agreed. "Which is weird. From what I've learned about Kaida in our short acquaintance and all the briefings and strategy meetings today, all she wants is benders to be able to live apart from society, doing their own thing. She doesn't want them to actively revolt and plunge things into a bloody war. All she wants to happen is benders being left alone. This- this could change everything about the way benders are viewed- and not for the better, either. So why would Kaida agree to help me, then?"

"She wouldn't. Shino would, though. He hates the idea of innocents getting caught up in our spats with the equalists. And he doesn't think things through clearly, especially when he feels compassion and empathy. Unfortunately, neither does Kaida when Shino wants her to do something, and he threw the fact they just want the Avatar in her face, which of course sealed the deal. The rest of us just don't want the two of them to kill themselves over this, and because no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't talk them out of it. We all have our reasons. All of them stupid. We're going into war like a bunch of polar bear-dog pups, and half of us don't even want to win it."

"All I want to do is find my mother. I'll do whatever it takes to protect her and Kani," Taro said. "If this escalates into a war after tonight- I can't continue on with you guys. I'm out if this thing gets out of hand. I'm with you guys only to make money for my mother and sister, not to get in the middle of a revolution."

"Then it was nice to meet you, T-Ro," Teijin sighed.

Taro squinted as headlights flooded into the parking garage, and a large green van pulled up. A uniformed chi-blocker hopped out of the passenger's side, approaching Kaida with no hesitation. The other waterbender didn't flinch, which meant the equalist must be the informant. Without a word, the chi-blocker rounded to the back of the truck and opened the doors, gesturing inside.

"Let's move out!" Akiko agreed with the silent gesture. Hiroki and Shino helped Taro into the truck, and then the rest of the benders and the chi-blocker piled into the back behind them. As the van rolled away, Taro made a silent vow to Kani- safe with Oma and Inari along with Fin- that he wouldn't fail that night. We was going to find their mother. He was going to-

"Taro? Taro! Focus!" The waterbender boy jumped, looking down at Akiko to find her, with a flame ablaze in her palm, gathered with the others around a pilfered blueprint layout.

"Sorry," he murmured.

Akiko rolled her eyes. "So, you'll stay with the truck while the rest of us lead the assault-"

"And I have to stay with the van while you rescue my mother _because-_"

"-Now, our chi-blocker's clearance can get us past all the security checkpoints-"

"Actually," a husky but distinctly female voice came from chi-blocker, and everyone but Kaida tensed as the equalist removed the mask to reveal the face of a woman, "despite the fact I can get you to the core of the base, every checkpoint has a thorough check of the van. We're going to have to infiltrate the tunnels before we run into any security."

"But, according the blueprints, the tunnels are protected from surface invasion by a seventy percent platinum alloy," Shino piped up. "Only metalbending prodigies can bend something with that much platinum. And- I'm not even a metalbender to begin with. I'm a sandbender."

"Oh, you naive boy," the chi-blocker laughed, reaching up to pull off one of her gloves. "The equalists have many secrets. Especially from each other." She displayed a plain, unbranded wrist at first, but reached up and tore away the prosthetic skin to reveal the jagged edges of an earthbender's brand. "Nani Bei Fong, at your service."

TBR

"Kaida, where do you _meet_ these people? Where did you manage to get a _Bei Fong?" _Teijin jabbed his friend in the ribs as they moved through the shadowy tunnels. A light fell upon them as they entered a hanger of sorts, loaded with vans, and chi-blockers, and equalist war-machines alike.

"From the newspaper classifieds, twinkle toes," Nani snorted. "I thought I told you to keep quiet. You're light on your feet, but your _mouth_-"

"Focus," Shino gently prodded. "Where would they keep a handful of hostages, Nani?"

"In prison cells," Nani replied, flatly. When the five other benders glared at her, she sighed. "_Fine._ You guys have no sense of humor. This prison is used by the equalists for many things, but hostages they want to keep secret are usually contained in the sub-levels."

"The underground of the underground?" Hiroki raised an eyebrow.

"Precisely. Only- my access card doesn't go down that far."

"Well, in that case- we have to plan our moves slowly," Akiko said. "We have to use patience and-"

"You guys are such slow pokes!"

Steam billowed out of the female firebender's ears when she saw their informant darting across toward the elevators just across the way. Growling, Akiko pulled the mask of her own stolen chi-blocker uniform and darted after Nani, the others right on their heels. They all piled into the elevator without calling unnecessary attention, and Nani slid her access card into a little panel where the buttons normally would go. It slid away, revealing numbers one through twenty, all but number twenty lit up in white. Nani pressed nineteen and said, "When I tell you to brace yourself- do as you're told."

The elevator whined on its cables and descended into sublevel nineteen, lurching to a slightly shaky stop upon arrival to it's destination. "Brace yourself," Nani shouted, moving into an earthbending stance. The cables on the elevator suddenly screeched and snapped, and the elevator fell right into sublevel twenty, slightly jarring everyone inside it. "Ding!" Nani declared, a little hazily, standing up and prying open the elevator doors with metalbending. Alarms were now blaring, voices shouting from the depths of the tunnels. "You guys might want to get moving. I can't be seen helping you. I'm going to have to pretend to fight you." She folded herself into a chi-blocker's stance, but they could feel the apology radiating off her very being.

Kaida was the first on her feet, the others not far behind. Real chi-blockers rushed into the area, concealing Nani among their ranks. There weren't too many at first, but the benders had a feeling there would be more and very soon. "Shino!" Hiroki called, and they exchanged a knowing look. Shino took out a medallion full of sand, bending its contents into the air, where Hiroki shot it with an intense tongue of fire. Moving as one, they brought down shards of glass upon their enemies, creating a decent enough distraction for a partial escape. "Kaida, Akiko, Teijin, we'll hold them off!" Hiroki called. "Get out of here before more come!"

They all nodded, scrambling off into the darkness, leaving the two boys to fight for themselves. More chi-blockers did come, in overwhelming numbers, and Shino ran out of sand to bend. He remained undaunted, surrounded by his element in the underground, as the chi-blockers pressed him and Hiroki back to back. "Hit the deck," he whispered to his teammate, who only breathed in response. His last thought before bending a dome of earth around both of their crouching forms was how stupid the equalists were to have so much earth around.

The feeling of safety was short lived, for some outside source bent away their dome of protection. At first, they thought it was Nani, turned out to be a traitor, but then they saw all six of them. They were dressed in the green of the ancient Earth Kingdom- the days of the hundred years war- and the four most central of the group stretched for their hands, gloves of rock shooting forward to pin the boys' ankles and wrists to the ground. The young pro-benders didn't even have time to retaliate or fight back, for the chi-blockers moved in to strike, hitting pressure points and sending their victims into the black nothingness of sleep.

TBR

Taro found himself jumping at every little sound after he was left alone. Every rustle of a leaf, every pop of a twig, sent his heart a thunder. So, when the van doors were abruptly and roughly thrown open, he nearly jumped through the roof. Relief did not come after the sudden startle like it had with all the twigs and nocturnal creatures, rather horror anew coursed icily through his veins as he started up at Official Tama leering down at him, several chi-blockers standing behind her at her beck and call. "Well, isn't this- _pitiable. _What do they keep _you_ around for? Seems to me like you'd be more of a detriment than an asset." She snorted. "Maybe you'd be more use to them if you'd come up out of that chair." The worst sensation Taro had ever felt in his life rushed through his body. His blood became a jagged hook, pulling his body in painful lurches toward the wickedly smiling official. His body was suddenly a weapon used against him, and he was yanked from his chair, hovering dangerously in the air. "Glad to see that didn't take much convicting. I would hate to have to twist your arm." White hot pain shot through Taro's entire torso as Tama used her invisible hook to jaggedly contort his arm until it fractured. It hurt. It all _hurt_. Everything in his being screamed for release, yet his body and its movement no longer belonged to him.

Flashes of Ami from his dreams, her face wrought with pain as similar contortions struck her body, danced before his eyes. He saw a strange teenager of obvious Water Tribe descent, scratches littered across her face, as her body lurched and contorted, the Savoir causing her anguish, too. He saw another young Water Tribe girl, dressed as if from Fire Nation of old, weeping under the light of a full moon. He started to lose grip on reality.

_Faces. The faces of thousands of strangers, staring at him with eyes a glow- they seemed to call to him. He could hear their voices, meshed together in some faint odd harmony. He could feel himself moving toward them, ready to answer their call-_

It all suddenly ended in a rough fall to the ground. The pain in his arm, once slightly numbed by the odd form of torment, returned with a vengeance at being suddenly jarred, so terrible it blurred his vision for a brief second. Through the haze he could see the indistinct form of Tama receiving a taste of her own cruelty, another blur behind her perpetrating. And then he blacked out.

TBR

"Papa! Papa! He's waking up!"

Taro groaned a bit, his eyes opening to find his own room. His arm still ached, but only a dull thud, and he could move it. Whatever sensation he'd felt that night with Tama was now only present in the form of a slightly aggravating but very mild headache. He heard Kani's footsteps shuffle down the hall, and soon his door opened again.

"Well, glad to see you're alive," a resonant voice laughed, and Taro turned his head to see Kane smiling down at him. "You picked up a bug from school, according to Kani. She says you've been sick since just before your mother disappeared, so the factory foreman was nice enough to let me take my two-week leave early."

Taro's brain was moving too slow to be confused. "Mom-"

"All the clinic workers were saved, by the efforts of the chi-blocker police. Your mother is home, but you know how delicate her heath is. Poor Rina is pretty ill from the shock, but she's getting better day by day."

"Did they say-"

"It was a big mob war between two of the leading bender gangs in Benders' Borough. All the witness reports say the same thing. The city is in an outrage."

Now that Taro was starting to clear off sleep, questions were starting to form, confusion raging a full storm in his brain. "But-"

"I can see you still need time to rest," Kane said. "Go ahead and go back to sleep, and we'll talk when you're more awake. Remember, I'm here for two weeks. When you and your mother are feeling better, we can spend lots of time together as a family."

Taro nodded, though he never really heard what Kane had said. When his father was gone, Taro sat up, raking his hands through his hair. He felt something crinkle in his pocket, and he dug it out, unfolding a handwritten note.

_I overheard you tell Teijin that you were out if this escalated into a war- so we're moving. Don't try and find us. Forget you ever met us. I used methods on your little sister I swore I would never use, so no matter how hard you insist, she will believe the story that you've been ill for a few days, and she will never remember meeting us. So play along. I didn't use the same methods on you, because I wanted you to remember what is truly means to be a bender. Burn this letter as soon as you read it. It is a shame we will never meet again. You really were a thrill, T-Ro. _

_ -Kaida._

TBR

Shino looked up when the light pierced through the blackness, stabbing at his eyes like a knife. Two of the strange men in ancient Earth Kingdom clothing shuffled forward, their faces a complete deadpan. They looked down on Shino, and the young earthbender spotted one pair of green eyes and one pair of blue. The one with blue eyes- the eyes of Water Tribe decent- stepped forward, and Shino felt a vein pulse painfully in his head.

"The Savoir has invited you to Lake Laogai."

**Well, that was totally clear and you probably have absolutely NO questions whatsoever. Sarcasm people. Sarcasm. You will learn, though. Just give it time. And what's this? The Dai Li? Sort of. There are a lot of throw backs to both Korra and the original series I have planned with my own little original twist. **

**I can't take full credit for glassbending. That was the result of one of those "the science of bending" conversations I mentioned earlier. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. And get ready for family sweetness once more! Gotta love Kane! Alright, bye for now!**

** -Moonlit**

**P.S Aww! Look how sad the little review button is! A hug from Mr. Mouse or Mrs. Smartphone touch-screen will certainly make him feel better. (Yes. I'm THAT person). **


	8. Chapter 7

**Everyone, I'm speechless! The previous chapter was my most reviewed in the story thus far! You guys really make my day, even if it's just a little comment. I shows I'm not narrating to a brick wall. LOL. I love you all so much! Virtual hugs for all! And please, keep the reviews coming, little comments and critiques a like. Whatever you want to do. I love them very much. **

**On we go with the chapter. I wanted to do this a bit later, but I realized what I had planned in between the last chapter and this scene wasn't a whole lot relevant. So yeah, I'm moving on with the plot. **

**Also, I figure Taro would have the exact opposite situation as Korra. He severely struggles with the bending aspect of being the Avatar, but the spiritual aspect will come as naturally to him as bending did to Korra. Just a fun little fact. **

_Chapter Seven_

"Hey, Dad. Kani. What are you working on?" Taro rolled up to the table to find it littered with glue and pictures and paper clippings alike.

"Papa is helping me with a school project," Kani declared. "We're supposed to do a report on a notable ancestor we admire, so he's helping me pick one. He took me to our storage unit where we keep all our family records."

"Really?"

"You know how important ancestry is, Taro. I have records dating to just before the War for Equality. And, your mother's family is _very_ thorough. Her family has kept record since right after the Hundred Years War."

"That long ago?" Taro looked at the pile on the table with new interest. He pointed to a very large chart.

"Yes! It's totally awesome!" Kani nodded. "Momma even drew up a family tree a few years ago. It has the name and what Nation they were from. Want to see-"

"I'm sure Taro has plenty of homework to do, Kani. Let's not keep him." Taro was busy leafing through the pictures to notice the flash of panic rush across Kane's face.

"No, no. I'm all done. We got off easy tonight, since the year it starting to wind down." He took the piece of paper from his sister.

"Uh, Rina," Kane called, trying to mask the panic, though Taro was already madly searching the family tree.

"Dad-" Taro's throat started to close up.

"Rina!" Kane called again. It was too late.

In a mind-numbing state of shock, the document fell from Taro's hands. In the half a millennium or more of family history crammed onto the paper, not a single Water Tribe member existed among his ancestors. _Not a single one. _

He felt the blood rush to his brain, his heart pounding wildly in his ear. His mouth suddenly felt like cotton, and he started at Kane. Taro tried to speak. Kane tried to speak. Neither could move his mouth. So, Taro just shook his head and rushed from the room, almost bumping into Rina as she came in, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Taro slammed his door, the knowledge of how to breathe quickly leaving his body. His mind was whirring so fast it couldn't produce a coherent thought. His chest felt tight, and his eyes burned with salty tears.

"Taro?" Rina's voice meekly inquired, followed by a soft rap on his door. Without waiting for any consent, she entered the room, tears of her own pooling down her cheeks. "Oh Taro, baby, I'm so sorry it had to happen this way." She reached out to hug him, but he pulled away.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he managed, forcing himself to look at her.

She was pale. Not as pale as when she first came home from her ordeal with the kidnappers, but she still didn't look her normal ivory glow at all. Her shoulders were slumped, and she was shaking with both the lingering effects of her illness and the grief Taro's anguish was causing her. She collapsed onto the foot of Taro's bed, burying her head in her heads.

"We were going to tell you once you were old enough to understand. We really were. But then your bending emerged, and every healer we could afford told us there was no hope of you walking, and then we had Kani, and we just didn't want you to feel more out of place then you already did. I know we shouldn't have kept it from you, but- you've always been our son, Taro. Kane and I have known you and loved you ever since you were just a few hours old."

"So- my _real _mother and father. Who are they?"

Rina flinched on the emphasis Taro put on the word _real. _"Well, your mother was a waterbender, like you. She was injured when she gave birth to you, and-" she shook her head. "According to city records, your mother wasn't married, so I don't know who your father was. But your mother's name was-"

_"Ami."_

It was scarcely above a whisper, but Rina heard it, and her head snapped up at Taro's utterance. It was Rina's turn to be frozen in shock. "Taro, how do you know that?" She had to try a couple of times to force the sentence from her tight throat.

Taro just shook his head, a million thoughts and visions and voices dancing through his mind. "Just-just go," he whispered. "I need to be alone."

"Taro baby-"

"_Go,_ Mom."

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, sobbing uncontrollably before she could even get out the door. Taro lost it, too, shivering as Oma's words whirred in his head.

_"Eighteen years ago, an unwed pregnant bender came to us, starving, ill, and desperate..._ _The day she came to us, I had a dream in which I was told that woman's baby was the new Avatar..._ _but she has not come back since..._ _granted the power to bend not only the element affiliated with their birth nation_ _but- the other three as well... He possess the wisdom of Avatar's past, and it is always available to him..._ _The Avatar has the power to stop even the most grim of conflicts. Avatar. Avatar. Avatar."_

"No," Taro gasped out. "No. No. _No." _ He gripped at his hair, trying to shake the voices from his mind, but all he kept hearing was : _"Avatar. Avatar. Avatar." _ It repeated endlessly in his mind, Kaida's voice joining in on the chorus of menacing mockery.

"_I know how low morale is among the other teams and benders in the league. The revelation of their Avatar- that could change things..._ _A symbol. A beacon of hope..._ _Because we've been working for years to restore the Avatar..."_

_ Avatar. Avatar. Avatar._

Shakily, Taro raised his shaking palm to eye level, imagining an igniting fire. At first he felt nothing but a cold surge of relief, but then his hand suddenly burned with warmth, and the tiniest of flames danced before his vision. Blinking, he reached out with his other hand and gave the flame a little poke. It burned his finger. He pulled away and the fire dissipated in a whiff of smoke, but Taro's fear remained. He swallowed, moving his body in his best version one of the basic airbending forms he'd seen Shai do in their study sessions together. Nothing came, but he could feel the potential of air just beyond his reach. He could airbend with practice. He almost tried earth, but he just shook his head. It was true. There was no denying it now.

_He _was the Avatar.

He just sat there in shell-shocked silence and tried to contemplate all that would mean for him- for his_ family _if anyone should find out. He knew the equalists were looking for him- so, was it safe for him to stay around? Probably not, which mean he had to leave. But his father- father? No. Kane -went back to the Fire Nation in just a few days. Could Taro really leave Rina and Kani alone? Should he tell them?

No, he decided. No one must no. No one except maybe one person, one he could trust. Shai. He'd tell Shai. But no one else. Wait- that wasn't true. He'd tell Kaida- or should he? She'd want to use him as her "beacon of hope" and he didn't want anything to do with that. He didn't want anything to do with being the Avatar, either.

_"Crap," _ he muttered.

TBR

_"Savoir," _Official Tama's voice crackled over the planted bug,_ "I have some interesting news about their Avatar." _ The benders that were gathered around the radio unit leaned a little closer.

"Boss," a firebender said. "I think you might want to hear this."

"Turn it up, then," their leader agreed.

_"- waterbender boy. A paraplegic."_

_"And how did you come to realize this, Official?" _the Savior's voice demanded, more than a little skeptical.

_ "When I attacked the van during the benders' raid of the prison, he was there. I was bloodbending him, when his eyes glowed for the most fleeting of seconds. But_ did_ glow."_

_ "Then we've found him, Official. Have city records provided him with an identity?"_

_ "Taro is his name. He is in his final year at the Academy."_

_ "Well, Tama," _the Savoir said. _"Looks like you're taking another visit to the school. Bring me that boy. You are dismissed." _

"So, what's our move, Boss?" the firebender asked, turning the volume on the radio all the way down. "Boss?"

"Taro? _He's _their Avatar?"

"You know him?"

"Of course I do. He was briefly a member of my pro-bending team. Horrible fighter, only a healer. He will make a very poor Avatar, indeed."

"So now that we've found him, will our plans be going into motion soon?"

"No. We're going to need a new Avatar if we want to succeed. We do not exist to be impatient. We will have a perfect champion, or none at all."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Get to him before the equalists do- and kill him. Only then can our search begin again."

TBR

"Shai, I need to talk to you about something," Taro whispered.

"Busy meditating," Shai muttered, eyes still closed.

"Since when do_ you_ meditate?"

"Since when do you not? You're one of the only ones in the group that does it right_ and_ never gets yelled at for falling asleep."

"Because I never fall asleep during meditations. You should try it some time."

"I study as hard as I can in all my classes. You should try _that _sometime."

"Shai- I _really _need to talk to you. Not _about _you. " He smirked.

"Who is that speaking?" the monitor barked.

"It'll have to wait. Tell me in the halls?" Shai dropped her voice several notes.

"No. Someplace private. Back here right after school, okay?"

"Okay," Shai agreed, opening one eye to stare at him skeptically.

The gong to end the session sounded, and they both stayed put as the monitor crossed to the front of the room to give announcements. "So, for those of you in your final year, last examinations begin next week, and then you will receive a list of possible vocations based on your scores before your formal farewell from the school. Also, a surprise equalist evaluation has been called for today, and will be taking place during your training times." Murmurs erupted from all around the room. "Quiet, quiet! Please proceed to your respective locker rooms to change into your training clothes. Quickly! You don't want to keep the Officials waiting."

"An evaluation? But we _just _had one!" Shai complained as she and Taro exited the mediation wing in step with the rest of the crowd.

"Yeah. Crazy, right?" An uneasy feeling was settling into Taro's stomach. "Well, here's me." They stopped outside the male waterbenders' locker rooms.

"Alright. See you after school, okay?"

"Yeah. See you after school." And he disappeared inside.

Official Tama was no less harsh than she was the last time, and Taro put forth a great effort this time trying to blend with the crowd, especially after the night at the prisons. She'd recognize him, of course, but now way she could know-

"Greatly improved, waterbender." Taro jumped at her voice, watching him stare down at her. "Have you been practicing."

"A good friend of my twisted my arm into practicing," he said, surprised by his boldness.

"That," she whispered, leaning down to whisper in his ear, "isn't a correct response for someone who wants to live- _Avatar _Taro_."_

TBR

"Taro? What's wrong? You look like you're about to be sick!" Shai rushed forward as soon as her friend came into the mediation wing.

"I think I _am_ going to be," he muttered, turning sheet-white.

"Taro, you need to go home. You're not well."

"I never asked for anything of this," he groaned, shaking his head, his whole body trembling. "All I ever wanted to do was help my family."

"You're starting to scare me," she said, kneeling before her friend to make direct eye-contact. "What's going on?"

"Shai," he deadpanned, holding out his palm as it ignited in flame. Shai stared at the fire, her mouth open, trying to speak but finding herself unable to. "Say something," he whispered.

"H-How, Taro?"

"It's not just fire, Shai. I can bend air and earth, too."

"B-B-But-"

"You have to listen to me, Shai." He grabbed her hands. "Apparently, they've been searching for someone like me for years."

"Who?"

"The equalists, other benders- so many people. The equalists have found me, Shai. That's why they were here today. For me."

"Why, though?" Shai was starting to shake herself.

"I-I- it's hard to explain. I don't know when they're going to come- I don't know much of anything, really. But they will come, and you shouldn't be around me when they do. No one should. I-I- have to leave the city." He cupped her face.

"You can't go. Not without an explanation." She placed her hands on top of his, tears pooling down her face. "I just don't understand. I'm so confused, Taro, I-" But whatever she was going to say never made it out into the open, because Taro was suddenly kissing her. She bugged her eyes at first, but then let them flutter closed, enjoying the warmth of his lips against hers, the satisfaction of how they fit together so well. She felts sparks- _electricity. _ Suddenly, she tensed. She felt _electricity_. And it was burning her. A little squeak escaped from her body before she slumped into blackness.

Taro still felt the lingering sparks on his lips as the chi-blocker pulled his electric rod out from Shai's back. Official Tama laughed, kicking the airbender's limp form. "Chi-blockers, tie her up and put her in the van. She may be of use to us if he is uncooperative."

The two of them nodded, carrying Shai off. Taro tried to resist, but Tama struck a pressure point, and his vision went blurry for a moment. As the haze was starting to clear, she grabbed his collar and pulled him to eye level. "You've hid long enough," she said. "I have to admit, the Avatar spirit was pretty smart, choosing someone as unlikely as you for a host. But it will also end up as the Avatar's downfall. This time- we're going to kill you for _good_." She kicked Taro's chair right out from under him, and he grunted as he slumped to the ground. "All too easy," she laughed, striking Taro near the neck, tossing him over her shoulders like a child's doll as soon as he was out cold.

TBR

Taro woke up to find himself outside his chair, tied, and bouncing around in the back of a van. He felt something slam against his side, and he looked down to see a still unconscious Shai. He stared at the ceiling, fresh waves a terror coursing through his body. _Stop panicking and _think, he scolded himself, sucking in a deep breath. _Fear won't get you out of this._ _Help will. Only- I don't have help. _

_ "He possess the wisdom of Avatar's past, and it is always available to him". _ Oma's words echoed in his brain, and he raised his eyebrow."Or- maybe not," he said. He sucked in a deep breath, focusing his mind. "Um- other Avatars? I'm kind of in a jam here. I would very much appreciate some Avatar -ly guidance." Silence. "Yeah. Didn't think it was going to work, either."

"Then you have no faith, Avatar Taro."

The young waterbender jumped out of his skin at the unfamiliar voice, and he looked over to see a Water Tribe girl, staring down at him with a bit of a smirk and a bright glint in her crystal-colored eyes. "Avatar- Korra?" he guessed, remembering Oma's story.

"You called for some 'Avatar-ly guidance'?" She put her hand on her hip.

"It actually_ worked_?"

Korra nodded. "Every Avatar and his wisdom is always available, whenever you need it. Though, to unlock such access, it took me quite a long time. Too long, in fact. Spirituality for an Avatar is a crucial as bending, a lesson I wish I would have learned earlier."

"Because your lack of spirituality resulted in your death?" Taro guessed

"Yes. Without a connection to the Avatar State, I was not powerful enough to face Amon, founder and first leader of the equalists. But I was brash and impulsive. I fell in my first and only battle with him, because of my arrogance. Three Avatars have passed since me without realizing who they were and without collecting any wisdom for your use because of me, and without them, the world has fallen into grave despair."

"Comforting," Taro muttered. "So- this Avatar State. How does it- work exactly?"

"You are such a young Avatar yet, as I was. It is hard to have it fully under control, but it is your most powerful state of being, the moment where all the Avatars' power is accessed by you. Yet, be warned- it is also the most vulnerable of moments for you. Because all of the Avatars are manifested, if you are killed in the Avatar State- the Avatar will cease to exist."

Taro's eyes widened. "'Kill me for good'!" he gasped. "The Savoir plans to- kill me in the Avatar State!"

Korra stiffened. "That he does. Though, I am not sure how he obtained that information. You must be careful, Avatar Taro. The world is depending on you."

"Wait- what?" But Korra was already gone. "'You must be careful, Avatar Taro. The world is depending on you'? That's not advice!" he called to the skies. "That's a fortune cookie quote- _ouch_!" Taro slammed his head against the walls of the van as it suddenly came to a screeching halt. He could hear shouts footsteps coming from outside, and suddenly, the van doors were thrown open. His head hazy from the impact, he saw two blurry people in sleek black suits, complete with face masks that somehow had no eye, nose, or mouth holes without killing it wearer, hopped into the back of the truck. "Boss, there's a girl with the Avatar. Should we take her with us?"

"If she's a bender," a muffled voice replied through the haze, and a third person in a suit jumped into the vehicle, tossing a tied and gagged Official Tama in with them. The masked figure looked at Taro. "I wish I could say we're not going to hurt you, but that would be a lie, Avatar."

"Was I the only one that didn't know I was the Avatar? Where do you people get your information? Cause I would certainly like to use it as a source!"

"Watch your mouth, if you know what's good for you. This one doesn't like back sass," he nudged Tama's head, "and it's a very long car ride. Benders, let's move out!"

**(Because, according to BOTH Aang and Korra, "I'm confused" is Avatar-eese for "Kiss me now, you fool!". Seriously, watch **_**The Ember Island Players**_** and then watch **_**The Spirit of Competition. **_** I figured, who is Taro to break that tradition.)**

**What is going on, you ask? You will find out, of course. Well, I hope you like this chapter. I think it turned out alright. I hope you guys don't think Korra was too OOC. It's just, all the Avatars who mentor the current one are supposed to be, you know- Avatar-ly and wise-like, as Taro might put. I figured Korra picked up a lot of wisdom after hundreds of years in the spirit world. Though, I tried to give her that Korra-charm we love. **

**Also, I have a question for you! If you don't mind my asking. I just kind of want to take a reader-poll. A) I know, of course, but who do YOU think the evil member of the Buzzard-Wasps is? I want to see how good my suspense skills are. So, just let me know through a review what you think, and you'll find out whether you're right soon enough. **


	9. Chapter 8

**So, you all have your theories, whether you voiced them or not, and you're about to discover the identity of the evil Buzzard-Wasp, plus a little more information/explanation on the events that ended chapter six, a little hint of back-stories for certain characters, and a bombshell or two. In other words, I going to mess with your minds a bit. **

**Fun fact for you all- Kaida was the original protagonist of this. **

**And- someone asked about technology- the upper crust of society lives in high-tech luxury, which you will see soon, while the lower crust has stuff that's only a little more advanced than the world of Korra. Hope that answers your questions. **

**Well, moving on now. WARNING: Lot's a bloodbending in this chapter. LOTS. **

_Chapter Eight_

Taro wasn't exactly sure at what point he'd fallen asleep, but the next thing he remembered was waking up underground, chained to a wall with no use of his hands. The air was stale and dry, which meant no water for him to bend, not that it would really help in anyway. Yet, he could still feel the push and pull of the full moon like he could every time it was in the sky- strengthening and reassuring. He wasn't quite sure where he was, and thinking about it just made his head hurt even more with the obvious concussion. He groaned, a little shiver of unease running up and down his spine.

"I wonder why they chained _you _to all wall. What, are they afraid you'll crawl away?"

Taro tensed, a bit, staring at a disheveled Tama, similarly bound to the wall right across from him. "Well, it's always nice to speak with _you _,Official. But, you know, I don't know if you've gotten memo or not- apparently I'm the Avatar. Which, evidentially, is no secret since everyone seems to know but me. This is the second time I've been kidnapped in twenty-four hours. Must be a record or something."

Tama rolled her eyes, giving a little snort of disgust. Looking at her, Taro could tell how much being kidnapped by a bunch of benders had hurt her equalist-induced pride. Her bright blue eyes were constantly lowered to the ground, her usually prim hairstyle of three small braids looped into one had become nothing more than a loose curtain of choppy, wild hair, clotted with dirt after being dragged through the underground. Her scowling tan face was littered with scratches- some bleeding, some just a nasty red.

"Do you- know where we are, by any chance?" Taro finally got up the courage to ask, and Tama snapped her head up, raising a surprised and quizzical eyebrow..

"We are underneath what was once Air Temple Island."

"Air- what now?"

Tama sighed impatiently. "Do you remember the what the Air Nomad genocide is?"

"Vaguely from history class. I don't really pay that much attention. Something about the Fire Nation being intimidated by growing Air Nomad population, so- they wiped them all out but one. Then that one married, had an airbender son, and that son got married and- repopulated the race."

"Is that what they tell you in the school?" Tama laughed. "The things they make up to keep the Avatar a secret. The Fire Nation knew the Avatar was due to be born an Air Nomad, so they wiped them all out- coincidentally killing every one _but _the Avatar. After being frozen in ice for a hundred years, Avatar Aang, the last airbender, returned to the world and, after helping win the Hundred Years War and restoring the world to peace, Aang took place in the founding of Republic City, and Air Temple island, just off its coast, where he lived and trained non-bending individuals, known as Air Acolytes, to uphold Air Nomad culture. Aang did have a son, who helped repopulate the airbender race by marrying and Acolyte named Pema, all their children being airbenders, but, after the Treaty of Equality was signed, Pema, Tenzin, and their children were forced into hiding to avoid the Savoir ridding the world of airbending, and the Savoir forced all the Acolytes off the island. It has since then fallen into great disrepair, and the equalists have paid it no attention to it since, which we apparently should have, because this little operation has been thriving right underneath it for quite some time, it would seem."

"What- is this operation? The pro-bending league?"

"Far from it. The pro-benders are a pain in the equalists' side what with their attempts to restore the Avatar, but they have never been particularly violent. These benders- they are an entirely new sort to what the Savoir has had me deal with."

Taro opened his mouth to say something, but the cell door opened up, and none other than Teijin was tossed in, a quivering heap of orange and yellow. "Teijin!" Taro gasped, desperately wanting to run to his friend. At the mention of his name, the airbender stiffened, slowly getting up off the ground, glaring at Taro. The Avatar noticed how dilated Teijin's pupils were, how blank his stare was, as he held a tiny dagger out to his side. "-Teijin?" The airbender raised the dagger, and slowly advanced on Taro, who closed his eyes and waited for the end. When no pain, no sharp metallic sting, erupted through his chest, he cautiously opened one eye, to find Teijin suddenly jerking sporadically about the cell, an odd yet strangely familiar sloshing and cracking coming from his body. Taro looked over at Tama, who was fixated on Teijin with an intense look of concentration, her face red and popping with veins. "You're- no good to me dead- Avatar-" she said, cocking her head to one side. Teijin's neck was slowly turning and twisting, and his eyes suddenly went from utterly blank to utterly fearful, wide with pain.

"Tama, he's back to himself. Tama! You're killing him! How are you even doing this?"

"One less bender to worry about," Tama said, and Teijin's next continued to twist.

_"Tama-"_ Taro warned again, a dangerous swell starting to settle into the pit of his stomach.

Tama suddenly gasped, blood gushing from her nose, and she released Teijin with a sputtering cough. Teijin fell to the ground, yelping, shivering. He lifted his head with effort, an apologetic look in his silver eyes. "-Sorry- he brainwashed us all- has the whole league- in his grasp-"

"Who, Teijin?" Taro asked. Teijin tried to speak, but ended up coughing up a mouthful of blood instead. "Teijin!" But it was too late. The airbender had gone still- permanently. Taro looked away, face contorted with grief and disgust.

"Well, he _was_ trying to kill you," Tama muttered, scoffing at the tears springing from Taro's eyes.

"No, it wasn't him. Someone was making him do it."

The door was opened again, and this time, the person they tossed in made Taro's heart skip a beat in utter terror. Tama shifted a bit, arcing a brow. "Kaida, _no_!" She looked up, eyes not just blank- full of otherworldly malice so unlike Kaida it could have only been put there by an outsider, another person entirely. "Kaida, please!" Taking out a dagger of her own, she approached the Avatar, getting down on one knee to be at eye level with him. Drawing a cautious finger along the blade, she locked her cyan eyes with Taro and mouthed 'Do you trust me?', her usual sarcasm glimmering just beneath the surface of faked mind control.

"No," he breathed out, under his breath, the faintest of smirks playing at the corners of his mouth. A flicker on mutual understanding passed between them, and Kaida suddenly straightened out, tossing the knife to the side. "Master," she said, locking eyes with a camera Taro had not noticed until that moment, "I can no longer deceive you. You do not have me under your control. Until now, I have acted very willingly. I have nothing but the deepest admiration for your cause. Please, come. Experience your victory together with me. Together like we have always done." She looked down at her feet, her face going tender, a blush tinting her tan cheeks rosy red. "I love you."

There was a pause that lasted a few moments, before the last person Taro expected to see strode through the door. Shino was grinning down at his alleged girlfriend, and Taro had to admit, she was a fabulous actress, looking at him as if she were drunk off adoration for him and his "cause", whatever that may be. "Oh, Shino," she muttered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I am surprised at your willingness, my love," he said, cupping her face. "The Avatar has always been the most important thing to you. Your willingness to kill him moves me deeply. Your loyalty is impressive."

"You are more important to me than any Avatar," she said, standing on tip-toe to be level with him, seeing as she was a good head shorter. "And- I think the Avatar spirit should have truly chosen you. You are a visionary." She pulled him into a kiss, his eyes closing in pleasure, but suddenly, a look of pain shot across his face, and he lurched backward suddenly hovering three feet in the air, nothing but sheer horror on his face as he lost control of his own body. At first, Taro thought Tama was once again inflicting her strange power on someone else, but when he looked over at the official, her eyes were equally as wide. He realized it was Kaida that was holding the invisible puppet strings over Shino. "We are _so _broken up," she growled, pinning Shino against the wall. "You see, I recognized New Dai Li methods from the start of your little scheme, _Uh-vatar _Shino_. _Hiroki told me of your capture at the prison, how you used their own mind control methods against them to free the both of you. I knew right away what you were trying to do from the second you started the attempt to brainwash me. You wanna know _how _I knew? Because I _created _the New Dai Li's mind control, Shino. I _invented _the use of bloodbending to control someone's mind. I dug up the ways of the original Dai Li earthbenders, and came up with the concept of sandbending ground glow stone to make the Dai Li's original brainwashing methods more effective and more portable. I'm the reason the New Dai Li exists, and I'm _not_ going to let you use it against me. " She pinned him against the wall, contorting his legs. A sickening crack echoed loudly through the cell, and Shino shrieked in pain, tears springing down his cheeks.

"Please," he begged, "let me go."

_"No," _Kaida growled, and Taro could tell she was not herself. Her power was starting to have as much of a hold over her as much as it did Shino.

"That's right, Kaida," Tama praised. "Don't waste such incredible power. You're not even tired. Always the bloodbending prodigy. Kill him, Kaida. Use your skills to their fullest potential."

"Kaida," Taro gently begged, and she looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes going soft. Shino fell to the ground, and she lowered her head, taking the keys off of Shino's belt, coming over to unlock the restraints on Taro's wrist.

"Thank you," she said, tears springing up in her eyes.

When Taro was free, he reached up to wipe the salty drops away, giving her a weak but reassuring smile. "It's okay. You kept your head. In the end, you had control over it instead of the other way around. That's what matters." She nodded, her shoulders shivering with pent-up sobs. "So, as it turns out- I'm the sort of the Avatar," he said, after a moment of silence, and she looked up, a very Kaida-like smirk playing at her eyes. She put her hands on either side of his face, pulling him into a kiss- a real one.

Taro's heart rate accelerated so fast, he thought he was about to enter the Avatar State. Fortunately, though, before that could happen, Kaida pulled away, smiling at a speechless and breathless Taro. "Yeah. I know."

"Pathetic," Tama snorted, reminded the two young waterbenders she was still there. Picking herself up off the ground, Kaida stared over at the official, crossing over to undo her restraints as well. Swift as a biting weasel-snake, Kaida released Tama from the wall and had the official's hands chained again behind her back, all in a matter of a few seconds.

"You're coming with us, Tama," Kaida snapped. "Can't have you running back to your precious little Savoir and resuming your mission to kill Taro, now can I?"

"No, I guess you wouldn't want that, what with your traipsing about with those pathetic pro-benders for all these years, wasting your potential as always. You were always the prodigy. Mother, Father, and the Savoir always loved you best. Yet, what have you done with your abilities? You've hidden them, wasted them."

"Like you did, having the Savoir take your bending away?" Kaida retorted, earning herself a glare from Tama.

"Um- am I interrupting something- important and _very _awkward for someone who is _way _out of the loop?" Taro asked, clearing his throat.

"No, no, Avatar," Tama said. "Don't mind us. Just a little family reunion here is all."

TBR

"I can't believe what she did to Teijin," Hiroki muttered, putting a sympathetic hand on Kaida's shoulder. They both stared out at the waters of Yue bay, the hum of the motor under their feet as Akiko drove the boat back to mainland Republic City.

"His acting was very convincing," Kaida said. "I mean, even_ I_ thought he was going to kill Taro for a moment. " She lowered her head, squeezing Hiroki's hand. "I should have gone in first. I know how to fight her bloodbending off."

"Hey, we'll make sure he doesn't die in vain, alright? I know Shino still has half the league under control, and you only managed to free the Team, Inari, Gran-Gran, and that Shai girl from his grasp, but we can still do what Teijin always fought for- restoring the Avatar and keeping peace among benders and non-benders. Taro can fight Shino's movement, if we help train him- teach him the elements, just like we always planned to do with Shino."

Kaida sighed, looking at her shoes. "I still can't believe he would do this. After all this time- all he wanted to do was start a bloody war, and I was too obsessed with his being the Avatar to see all the signs."

"We couldn't see the signs with Tama, either, before she left the league. I mean, she's your sister, she was Akiko's best friend, and I always had that huge crush on her. None of us wanted to believe she would rejoin the equalists like she did." He sighed, looking across the deck, where Tama was tied up in a corner, looking like a scolded polar bear-dog. "This should be interesting, having her around again- as a hostage, I mean. What's next?"

"Shino won't stay down forever, and even without Tama the equalists will still be looking for Taro, too. It's not safe for him in the city anymore. At least- until he learns the elements. Yet, at the same time- we need someone here to make sure Shino's little plans for rebellion don't get too out of hand and make things worse for the innocent benders in the city."

"-I'll do it."

"What?" Kaida looked up at her friend.

"I stay and keep an eye on things. So will Inari and Gran-Gran, I know it. They'll get that White Lotus thing they're apart of to help, too. You only need one of us to teach Taro firebending, and Akiko's the safer option. She's a better firebender than I am."

"I'll miss you like crazy, big bro," Kaida sighed, knowing the truth in his words but still not liking it any more. "We haven't spent more than two weeks apart since I moved in with your family."

"I know, little sis. I'll miss you, too." He hugged her, ruffling her hair. "And speaking of me being your honorary big brother," he said, letting her go and raising an accusatory eyebrow. "I saw that little lip-to-lip action on the security camera."

"What- you mean with Taro. Uh- that was nothing." She looked away. "I didn't even enjoy it."

"Like the spirit world you didn't," Hiroki snorted. "I have seen the polar bear-dog eyes you've been giving him every since he first rolled into your life in his shiny golden wheelchair-chariot."

"You are such a spaz," Kaida grouched, folding her arms.

"Kaida, you just banked a kiss- with the_ Avatar_. You're a single woman again, and you could do a lot worse. Go cash in." He gestured to Taro, safely out of earshot and chatting with his airbender friend, Shai.

"You really think I should go for it?"

"Is Akiko a hot-headed sour-puss?"

"You're still a spaz," she huffed, turning off and walking across the deck.

TBR

Though Shai was talking, Taro really couldn't hear her. That night's events had been so traumatic with Teijin's death, and Shino's treachery, and Kaida's kiss.

_Kaida's kiss._

It had felt so- right. So- at home, as opposed to his kiss with Shai. It had felt more like he was kissing a family member than the spark of a future relationship. He thought it made sense at the time- he'd known Shai all his life, she'd always been more than just an ordinary friend. But Taro realized that she was still just a friend. They were never meant to be any more. He was absolutely positive Shai felt the same way- they were always on the same page, after all. Their minds were like one- always thinking identical thought. So all he had to do was clear the air and apologize for his brashness.

"Shai," he said, getting her attention. "About the kiss. I'm so sorry. It was impulsive and stupid. And I was way out of line-" He was shocked to feel her lips crash right against his for the longest ten seconds of his life, and she pulled away smiling.

"It's alright. I feel the same way."

"Uh-"

"I've had the biggest crush on you ever since we were little, and- I was just afraid to say anything, because, well, we always had such a good friendship and I didn't want to make things awkward. But- now that I know you like me, too- well- it's perfect, isn't it?"

"Uh-"

She kissed him again and Taro was about to push her away, when Kaida cleared her throat.

"Am I- interrupting something?"

"Uh-"

"No, not at all," Shai said, standing up. "I was just going to take a lap around the deck and stretch my legs. Bye, you two."

"I wanted to talk to you about the kiss," Kaida said, once Shai was out of earshot. She crossed her arms.

"That's funny, because I wanted to talk to you about the same thing-"

"It was stupid. I shouldn't have done it, because I only meant it out of joy that I'd finally found the Avatar. I hope I didn't give you only false feelings-"

_"No," _Taro answered, a little too quickly. "No, no. I completely understand. I- didn't think of it in a romantic way, either."

"Good. That's fine."

"Yeah. That's fine."

Kaida stood there, glaring at the ground.

"Was there- anything else you wanted to talk about, Kaida?"

"Hmm- oh right. I do hope you realize you're going to have to leave the city now. Shino will be back on the move again, and so will the equalists.

"I realize this. But- my mother and sister-"

"Will be coming with us," Kaida said, with a curt nod. "We're going to head back to your apartment, pick them up, and then we're off to the Republic City International Airport on the next flight to Ba Sing Se."

**And here you guys thought I was throwing "Taida", as one reviewer put it, totally out the window. I'm so evil. And, yup, Ba Sing Se. They're leaving Republic City. Le gasp! **

**Well, I hope you liked it and please review! Remember, if all you feel the need to leave is a small comment, don't feel pressured to write long, thorough reviews. I love simple "I liked it" reviews just as much! **

**Hopefully my next update won't take long! And Taro is finally starting his element training. Yay! And we have enemies yay! **

**Kaida's full back-story will be coming in full soon, I promise, along with Shino's and a little more live-triangle goodness! **

**Congrats on anyone who guessed Shino as the evil member! You're probably a good judge of character in real life. LOL. Or just really good at deciphering plot twists. **


	10. Chapter 9

**Well, what can I say? Sorry for taking so long with this! **

**It's been awhile, hasn't it? Well, I had a particularly nasty case of writer's block on this story, and I've been VERY for the past couple of- months. I also have been fighting with writer's block and such. So- yeah. I'm sorry. Hopefully this is worth the wait. It's another transitional chapter. A little more back-story on Kaida and Tama, as well. **

_Chapter Nine_

Kaida sighed, leaning over the rail of the ferry, stretching her jaw to try and get her ears to pop. The flight to Ba Sing Se had been a long one- several hours on a Four Nations Airline jet, crammed between two obnoxious tourists in economy class. Yet, it strangely wasn't the growing claustrophobia, the constant complaints of Kani just across the aisle, or the loud noises of the crying baby three rows back that made the flight so unbearable. It was the overwhelmingly sudden change in her life. If just a few days, her "Avatar" boyfriend turned out to be a deranged revolutionary, her long-lost equalist sister had murdered one of her best friends, she'd kissed the _real _Avatar and he was suddenly avoiding her, Shino had brainwashed or just willingly swayed over half the league into bloody revolt, and now she was abruptly abandoning her life with the Satos- the only _real _family she'd known- to help the Avatar master waterbending. So much had happened so fast. And if _she_ was feeling overwhelmed, she could only imagine what it was like for Taro and his family.

The female waterbender sighed, turning her back on the water to stare at her little group. Shai- Taro's little girlfriend, apparently- was using the railing as a makeshift ballet bar, showing some move or another to little Kani. Watching the eight-year-old, Kaida remembered the days she dreamed of being a princess, much like any other girl, but that dream, along with any other, was shattered when bending came into her life. Kaida shook her head, again focusing on the airbender. She wondered if Shai had earned a master's status from the Academy yet. Without Teijin, they needed a new person to help Taro master airbending. Shai was the best thing they had, because airbending _was_ the least common of the element forms. Then, there was earthbending she had to think about. Sure, they had Fin with them (on the insistence of Oma trying to get the little boy away from the imminent war brewing in Republic City), but though he was good for his age, he was no prodigy and certainly in no way shape or form ready to teach the Avatar the element, let alone get _himself _to a master's status. That would mean they'd have to snag one from Ba Sing Se's underground pro-bending league, though no names came to mind.

There was biannually an inter-league tournament, where the top team in each of the Nation's underground leagues and the Republic City league competed. The Buzzard-Wasps never made it, but one year, when Inari was still a pro-bender before she retired to join the White Lotus, _her_ team had made it, so Kaida got to go. It was hosted in Ba Sing Se that year, and Kaida had gotten to meet some really great teams and benders, and some serious up and comers, but none that she could think of to track down. They'd have to play it by ear.

"Troubled mind, dear?"

Kaida tensed, looking over to see Rina smiling at her. The older woman crossed over to Kaida, following the waterbender's gaze across the boat deck. "This is all been very sudden," the younger girl agreed.

"Yes, it has." Rina nodded. "It's not every day you find out your son is meant to master all four elements and bring balance to the world."

"How is he- Taro, I mean?"

"He'll get over it, but to say he's not taking it well is a bit of an- understatement."

"We've all had a lot of upsets." Kaida folded her arms. "Tama has made sure of that."

"It must be hard for you, seeing your own sister so against you."

"How did you-"

"I'm a mother, sweetheart. I _know_ things."

"We were never close as kids- or ever. Our parents always encouraged us to compete with one another. She was older, but I was the better bender, so she always felt resentment because our parents paid more attention to me." Her shoulders slumped. "But Akiko, on the other hand- when Tama and I came to live with Akiko's family, those two became best friends right away. All I wanted was Akiko's attention, because I admired her, but Akiko never gave me the time of day, even though I was the stronger bender. It was strange for me, not being praised. So I started resenting Tama as much as she resented me. We've never recovered, and then she did something to betray me, Akiko, and all our friends, so I doubt we ever will."

"You know," Rina said, "I had a sister growing up, a year older than I was. I was very gawky, awkward, and clumsy for most of my teenage years. My face always broke out, my hair was a mess, and I was a-" she cleared her throat a bit-"late bloomer. But my _sister_- she was the prettiest person I'd ever met. Every time I had a crush growing up, all I heard about when I was around him was how wonderful and talented my sister was, and she always spread nasty rumors about me, so thanks to her I had no friends. Then, when I was sixteen, my sister got terribly ill. We were a non-bender family, so we could afford the medicines, but nothing really worked. At first it wasn't too bad. She'd get sick for a few weeks, then be up and about for a handful of months. As the years passed, though, the time she was ill lasted longer and she the times she was better were few and far between. She stopped being able to do the things she loved to do, like spending time with her friends, and going to dances, so my parents made me stay home with her a lot, so she wasn't lonely all the time. At first, I hated it, because I thought my sister kept me from having a social life as it was, but then, we started getting very close. I enjoyed the time I had with my sister, and we were best friends by the time she was nineteen. She died that same year. It's why I became a nurse. To help make sure that never happened to anyone else.." Rina sighed, a far off look in her eyes. "I know it seems hard, when sisters to awful things to us, but they're our _family, _and we really should realize it before it's too late."

"You don't understand," Kaida shook her head. "She just _killed _one of my best friends. She's on a mission from the Savior to kill your _son. _How can you even say there's a chance to recover? This isn't some petty family beauty pageant. There's no hope for my sister earning my forgiveness, or anyone's, for that matter, and she doesn't even _want _to reconcile, so don't you dare get preachy with me."

"Do you know why I took Taro in, instead of leaving him alone and abandoned?"

"Because you're a nice person?" Kaida asked, her tone verging on sarcasm.

"No, Kaida. I took him in because I believe no one is beyond hope. There _was_ hope he wouldn't be a bender, or that he would walk one day."

"Well, I see how well that one worked out for you," Kaida snorted.

Rina sighed, folding her arms and resting her back against the railing. "That's not the point," Rina said. "The point is, that, if I'd never entertained that hope- if I'd been like the other nurse's in the maternity ward the night he was born, there wouldn't be a Taro to discuss, now would there?" She turned her eyes skyward, smoothing out her overcoat. "There's a phone service below deck. I'm going to try to reach my husband again." With that, she walked away, leaving Kaida alone with her thoughts. She gazed across the deck, where Akiko and Tama were seated on a bench. Akiko had cuffed the Official to that very bench, but had skillfully hidden it so no passerby would suspect a thing. They weren't speaking to one another- Kaida figured they were beyond their best friend stage- and were a rigid and cold as ever.

Kaida sighed, taking one step toward them, before stopping herself. She almost burst out into laughter, unable to believe she was actually about to entertain the idea of talking to Tama! Sure, she was here, with them again, but it wasn't like if she weren't cuffed to that bench she wouldn't be trying to kill them. Tama hadn't suddenly had a revelation of her stupidly- she was just there until she found a way to escape, crawling back to the Savior with her tail her legs. Kaida squared her jaw, looking back out at the inky black sky.

TBR

Though Taro had grown up poor, he had never had to really deal with the more run-down and treacherous areas of Republic City too often. Sure, at least one trip to Benders' Borough was unavoidable to any bender in the city, be it for medical emergency nicer hospitals will only take non-benders for ,or desperation for a dwelling or job. But aside from these handful of visits, all he really knew was his cramped but presentable little apartment on a half-way safe portion of the city. It wasn't smart to go out at night alone in his neighborhood, but if one was in a group he could breathe easy.

Desite all this, he never thought himself particularly lucky to live in the dirty, noisy neighborhood, until he arrived in Ba Sing Se. He knew from Master San's rambling lessons that it was always a large city, even in the days of the Hundred-Years' War, that has only seen a spike in population in the handful of centuries that have passed since that point. The rapid increase of inhabitants of the city wouldn't have been a tragedy or a problem- if the city had expanded its boarders, but it had not. This ill-fated combination was already taking its toll on the city before the equalists took hold of the Earth Kingdom. Then, the over-crowded Earth Kingdom capital become a breeding ground for death, infection, and diseases, when all benders were confined to the Lower Ring, in addition to the poor non-benders.

When the ferry let them off at the dock, the scent of urine, sewage, and death made poor little Kani lose her last meal. Rina cooed and fussed over her youngest, cradling the traumatized eight-year-old to her mother's breast. Taro felt more than a little guilty- his bending, and now his being the Avatar, had out Kani through far more than any eight-year-old should have to go through.

Akiko acted as if nothing happened, hailing them down a cab- or, a rust bucket sato-mobile that whined and coughed every time it moved. Everyone they passed seemed to have the same dead stare as their eyes followed the vehicle. Children in bare feet and threadbare clothes were running in and out of the streets, with no fear of sato-mobiles because there really were none in the Lower Ring, and no sensible roads for the strange anomaly to go on, anyway. There were lots of buildings there, too, but none of them tall and towering. They were all small brick structures, crowded together side-by-side and falling apart at their very foundation. Animals, merchants, pedestrians, and panhandlers alike crowded the streets, in too vast a number to possibly be accommodated by the hovels that made up the Lower Ring's "skyline".

Akiko gave the cabbie directions as they drove, and, with all the turns and twists they made on the shoddy streets, it made Taro wonder just what the firebender thought she was doing. Rina beat him to asking the question. "Where are you taking us?"

"Trust me," was her only reply, before she went back to talking to the cabbie. Rina glared at Akiko's back, obviously resenting the brush-off. No one but Akiko was talking after that point.

Taro got bored after a few minutes, and so he decided to spy on Akiko's annoying clandestine conversation. She seemed to be drilling the cabbie, asking all sorts of cryptic and weird questions. Her face was blank, so Taro couldn't tell whether the answers pleased her or not, but Taro soon found out anyway.

About twenty minutes later, the cab finally shuddered to a stop in the only bare part of - the part that clearly stated only authorized personal were supposed to go to, because it was so close to the wall that kept it from the Middle Ring. Taro could see the smoke and the tall, industrial brick buildings- and beyond that, the decadent white apartment complexes, five-star-hotels, and party-towers of the Upper Ring- the political center of the city, the playground of the equalists. Some of those buildings displayed moving video-clips from big-time film, radio, and television stars, or garish advertisements. Other buildings just changed to different neon colors in the night. The technology there was dizzying, too. Taro had never worked on a computer a day in his life, but there in the Upper Ring- and any rich part of the world, for that matter- computer screens could be holographically projected into the middle of the air, on a wall, or onto a table- anywhere. Some of the sato-mobiles and limos and motorcycles there didn't even have to have wheels. "Party blimps" and "party jets" held nightclubs in the sky- and that was only the surface.

It made Taro sick how clearly visible the Middle and Upper Rings were. It was done that way on purpose- the lights of the strictly non-bender districts carefully made so bright, so that the benders would see it and be reminded of how much worse off they were in their plague pit. _Equality for all, _Taro inwardly snorted.

His thoughts were brought to an end when the ground beneath the cab started to shake, and Taro realized the cabbie was _earthbending _them into the underground. They were suddenly swallowed by the pavement, into a chaos of hollowed-out dirt. "What?" Kaida asked, seeing Taro's face. "Did you think Republic City's underground league was the only one in the world?" She leaned back against her seat. "These tunnels are designed so, theoretically, anywhere one bends themselves underground in Ba Sing Se is fair game for entering one of our tunnels. The trick is- getting to the actual league. It takes a trained professional ten years to finally memorize the exact route, and they're also trained to watch for and get rid of tails using dozens of different methods. Only the truly loyal can get you in." Taro finally understood why Akiko was asking the cabbie so many questions. "The league's base itself in actually under the Upper Ring. A bit of a slap in the face to equalists and their anti-bender malarkey."

"And the best part about it," the cabbie said, feeling the need to bring himself into the conversation, "is that it's a permanent spot, unlike the leagues elsewhere."

"And the equalists have never found it?" Taro asked, in disbelief.

"No. Never. Security's too high for that," Fin threw in, bouncing up and down in his seat.

"That's good," Taro said, looking at Tama with the corner of his eye. She was going crazy, he could see it. The amounts of twists and turns were impossible to memorize, even with her talents, and so she'd never find it again. She'd be going straight into the very thing she and the other equalists had been trying to penetrate for years- and she wouldn't even be able to use the information. He almost felt sorry for her. _Almost._

After four hours in the poorly lit tunnels, they finally came up on a heavy metal gate. "As far as I go, guys," the cabbie informed. Akiko paid and tipped the man, while Rina helped Taro from the car, the others crawling out after them. Shai carried Kani, who had fallen asleep.

There was a metal-bender guard at the door, but, with a cryptic exchanged just like the one back in Republic City, there were admitted in. It was stunning on the inside. The Ba Sing Se league put theirs to shame, that was for sure.

The first they came up on was a ticket counter, which displayed dozens of matches just for that night on a little electronic board. The price for a ticket was displayed right next to that. As Akiko and Kaida squabbled over a match, Taro wondered how so many could be fit into one night, and Kani, Rina, and Shai just blinked at it all.

"If I might make a suggestion," the woman at the ticket counter said, noticing the growing impatience of the other patrons in line. "If nothing interests you for tonight, the nine-thirty match in Ring C tomorrow night is going to be a good one, they say."

"The Pygmy-Pumas versus the Raven-Eagles?" Akiko asked, looking at the board.

"I've heard of the Raven-Eagles," Kaida said.

"What pro-bender hasn't?" the vendor laughed. "They were last year's Inter-League champions."

"And the Pygmy-Pumas?" Taro asked.

"New on the scene this year. Came to us from the Northern Water Tribe's league. There were second in the league last year. Should be a pretty suspenseful match."

"Well-" Akiko started.

"We'll take it," Taro said, before anyone could say otherwise. They never would settle if he didn't step in. Akiko glared slightly at him while she slid the yuans across the counter.

"Anything else?" the vendor asked, handing Akiko the tickets.

"We need a place to stay- a permanent-ish one, if you've got it," Kaida said.

"We've still got a few apartments for rent in the complex," the woman said, "and room at the motel for tonight."

"Motel? Apartment complex?" Taro asked, in utter disbelief.

"Welcome to the big leagues, kid," the vendor laughed. "Next!"

**Short, I know, but it's a transition chapter. I'll try not to take so long with my next update. And yes, the match will have significance toward the plot. I promise. Next chapter will have a description of Ba Sing Se's arena. Taro's also going to be getting his earthbending teacher, and- his animal companion! :D I'm really excited about that one. **

**Well, anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and please give Mr. Review Button a nice little hug for me! ;). **

**-Moonlit  
**


	11. Chapter 10

**Well, I, for once, have no long-winded commentary to add except- yay, I'm moving forward with the plot. Yayzels! Hope you guys enjoy!**

_Chapter Ten_

"- Yes, of course- We would be honored- Thank you very much, ma'am- Us, too." Kaida was grinning when she hung up the phone, sliding it into her pocket. "Good news, guys!" she declared, seating herself back down at the earthbender-made table.

"What?" Akiko asked, bored and slurping up her bowl of noodles loudly and rudely.

"Remember how Oma always talks about her White Lotus thing, or whatever?" Kaida pressed. She ignored Kani, Shai, and Rina's questioning stares.

"That's all that woman talks about, and she's brainwashing Inari, too. How could I _not _know?" Akiko moaned. Fin nodded in agreement.

"Well, anyway, a member of the White Lotus here, a great friend of Oma's, has offered for us to stay!"

"So- no cramped hotel room?" Fin asked, bouncing up and down in his chair.

The Ba Sing Se branch of the league was as stunning as accounts made it out to be, and to say it benefitted from its permanent location was a bit of an understatement. Aside from the professional ticket-counter, much like the one in Republic City's cinema (which the Ba Singe Se underground league had, too), there were not one, not two, not three, but _four _different arenas, two catering to main-league matches, and tje others catering the children and rookie leagues. Complete with two motels, an apartment complex, a few houses bent into the walls, and a whole marketplace of permanent shop and cart-vendors alike, this was more of a city and a culture than the Republic City league was. Paper lanterns, billboards, electronic scoreboards, dazzling neon signs on all the shops lit the entire dank underground into a blazing utopia of life- all for benders. They lived like the upper class down here, with all the bootlegged technology- computers, holographic televisions, and touch screens- Taro had never gotten to know because of his poor status.

However, the city's crowding problem had extended to the league and, despite the vast amount of supply, much like the surface world, there was an even greater demand. Despite the assurance of the woman at the ticket counter, only one hotel room- with two twin beds- had been available, and there was a large waiting list at the apartment complexes. Kaida's news was music to everyone's ears.

"She says we can move in as soon as we are finished with dinner here," Kaida went on, winking at an enthused Fin. "Which is good. We settle in tonight, and head to the match tomorrow."

"Question." Rina raised a finger, and every head at the table swiveled to her. "Why are we watching sports? I was under the impression I was being ripped from my home so Taro can train."

"Well, we'll have you know, _non-bender,_" Akiko gave her characteristic glare, "that we're attending a pro-bending match to stake out prospective earthbending masters for Taro. He's moving on to earth, since he's done with water, and-"

"-I'm not done with water," Taro said.

"_What?" _One could cut Akiko's fury with a knife. "You're a _water _Avatar, who is- not a Master Waterbender?"

"Well, there was an option to take the Mastery test early- Shai did that -but, seeing as I've never been a very good waterbender, I figured I'd wait to take it before graduation, like a lot of the other students."

"Not a good waterbender?" Akiko repeated. _"Not a good waterbender? _Did you ever practice, train?"

"Well, um-"

"You're the _Avatar, _T-Ro. You have a responsibility to the world to-"

"Well, I'm _sorry _if this is new information for me. I found out two days ago and literally got kidnapped _twice _in twenty-four hours. Forgive me if I'm not_ a fortune-teller_, and need a little time adjusting to the fact that the world suddenly needs me, after a lifetime of people thinking I'm useless!"

"Look here, _Roller-boy,_" Akiko spat, firing off a rebuttal that, without the profanity, sounded like this: "We have waited far too long for the Avatar to show up for him to be a lazy bum that decides it's ago to treat this all lightly! You may think this is all a joke, but it's not to me, so I suggest you start taking it seriously, m'kay?"

"You think I take this _lightly? _I'm _terrified_, alright? I have two groups out to kill me, and suddenly, I've been saddled with the weight of the world on my shoulders. Also, I just found out two days ago, I can bend four elements when I despised bending one, and found out I was adopted! Ever find out you were adopted, Akiko? A lot to wrap your head around. If you think you'd be such a fantastic and wonderful leader of a bender danged revolution, why don't _you _get off your _butt _and _you _master all four elements, with two assassins and your nagging firebending master breathing down your neck all the time to hurry it up! You don't know anything about me, Akiko, okay? _Anything. _So, if you want to be the Avatar, be my freaking guest, but if you expect me to do it- shut that gaping vortex you call a mouth, and let me _figure this out_!" He finally drew in a breath before tossing his napkin out of the table and wheeling away.

Kaida made a move to get up, but Shai held up a hand. "And what makes you think you can handle it?" Kaida snorted.

"I know him way better than _you people_ do," Shai declared, standing up. "Don't wait up, alright?" And a gust of air blasted in Kaida's face as the airbender rushed after Taro.

TBR

"Isn't this better?" Shai sighed, smiling over the rim of her teacup.

"Not really," Taro muttered, smiling apologetically at another man who had just tripped over the chair.

"Well, it may be a tight squeeze," she said, reaching across the table to rub his forearm, "but even this dreadful Lower Ring is less claustrophobic than that _awful _underground arena."

"I think it's amazing down there. Benders- living a happy, fulfilling life, free of 'cant's'."

"-As _fugitives_."

Taro sighed. "You know, I really thought you'd like the arena. I almost started working there once and- once this whole Shino-mess dies down and Republic City's League gets back on its feet, I'm thinking of doing just that. They like healers like me, you know?" He shook his head, putting down his cup and burying her forehead in his palm. "What am I even talking about? Things are never going to be normal from here on out, are they?" He gripped his hair, letting out a groan.

"You know," Shai said, taking up his hand between both of hers, "you don't have to go through this. We could run away- run back to Republic City and hide- no, that's stupid. Maybe we can go to the Southern Water Tribe. They're a bit behind the rest of the world, it's easier to be off the grid. It could be you and me, raising a family-"

"Shai," Taro said, looking into his old friend's eyes. This was Shai, the girl who, when they were five and in their first year at the Academy, fearlessly approached him when all the other kids were afraid of the chair. This was Shai, who, when they were seven, cut the tip of her finger with him and then held them together, bonding their blood. This was Shai who broke a bully's ribs by airbending him into a fence, and this was Shai, who he was never afraid to be open and honest with until now. Because, this was also Shai, who loved him desperately, and this was Shai, who he did not love back, Shai, who he would sooner or later have to tell about his feelings for Kaida.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, that love-sick grin that Taro had feared permanently etched onto her face finally fading. It broke Taro's heart.

"Look, Shai, about what we discussed on the ferry. I have feelings for-"

But a nervous buzz from the teashop cut him off, and both their heads whipped to see the dirty little television screen in the corner of the shop. It was turned a news channel, a pristine non-bender reporter identified as reporting from the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. "-in quite the uproar upon the arrival of the esteemed leader. Ba Sing Se, the political capital of the Earth Kingdom, has strict protocol for the arrival of the Savior, but was unable to perform a traditional welcome because of the sudden appearance. This footage was collected when a field reporter attempted to catch the Savior's reasoning for his sudden arrival."

A video played of the familiar daunting man hurrying through the airport, a microphone shoved in his masked face. The frozen artificial expression didn't change to match the inflection in his deep voice as he answered the nosy reporter's question, "My most trusted Official has been missing for quite some time now, and we have reason to believe she is here- in Ba Sing Se. We are here to rally with Ba Sing Se's trusted chi-blocker police to track my right hand woman down."

_"Tama," _Taro hissed, under his breath. _How did she get into contact with him? Akiko has her under twenty-four hour watch! _

"If you do not mind, sir, who is_ we_?" the reporter asked.

"How rude of me," the Savior laughed, gesturing to a tall man in a pristine suit behind him. "A trusted diplomat from Ba Sing Se, Representative Takada, kindly offering to assist me in my tireless search for not only my trusted employee, but my dear friend." Taro swallowed a bit, looking at Representative Takada. He was a tall, reserved man, with an expressionless face- a very tan face. He was clearly Water Tribe, but- why was he representing Ba Sing Se in Republic City's embassy?

The screen cut back to the woman anchor, and Taro turned to Shai, with wide eyes. "Check please!" she called.

TBR

Moments later, they were rushing through the streets of the Lower Ring, attempting to find a cab. Suddenly, Taro, ahead of Shai, braked, and the girl knocked into him, almost falling head over heels. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

_"No! _Taro, what-"

"It's coming from that alley-way," he said, unlocking his breaks and wheeling toward the apparent sound Shai could not hear. Finally, he stopped, Shai panting behind him, but now it was it easy to see what had drawn in his attention. Three large black cats were brawling in an alley-way, making horrid growls and howls. Taro and Shai could hear squeals of pain coming from beneath the frenzying beasts.

"Pygmy-pumas!" Shai gasped.

Taro, his heat beating faster, saw the puddle of water on the ground from a recent rainfall, and willing his bending not the fail him. He brought his arm quickly up, and three ice-daggers, dull and only half-solid, hit the three snarling creatures. It didn't do much, but it did scare them all and coaxed them to run off, leaving behind a quivering black mass.

Taro cautiously approached it, and wide green eyes stared painfully back at him. Another pygmy-puma, whining dismally. It has several angry wounds all over its left side. "Shai, when I tell you, push me over to her, okay?"

"How do you know it's a her?"

"I just do?" he said, deciding it wasn't really relevant. He went back to the puddle of water, collecting an orb in his hands. "Now, Shai." She rolled him back to the suffering animal, where Taro got to work healing. The nasty bleeding wounds were just red scratches when he was done. The animal raised her head and stood up, putting a front paw on his lap. Taro gasped- her _only _front paw. "How about that- a three-legged pygmy-puma," he laughed, scratching her head.

"Taro, those things are dangerous! Don't touch it- she could be _diseased._"

"Shai, she's purring. I think she's fine," he grinned, scratching the creature behind her velvety black ears.

"Really? Don't we have more important things to worry about like, you know, letting everyone know the Savoir is here?"

"Oh," Taro seemed to snapped out of his daze. "Right. Right. Sorry, girl." He lifted her paw off his leg, but she stared up at him with pleading eyes. "I'm sorry," he repeated, turning to leave with Shai. She looked at Taro like he had two heads. Yes, he was never cruel with animals, but he was also never one going around playing veterinarian to random city animals. "What?" he demanded.

"Nothing," Shai sighed, "it's just that- _it's following you_."

"What?" Taro looked over his shoulder to see the creature was hopping contently after Taro, her eyes bright and wide. When he stopped, she stopped. "Shai, I hope Oma's friend doesn't mind animals."

TBR

"Tama, don't be coy with me. You know what I'm capable of," Kaida barked.

"Oh, _please,"_ Tama laughed, rolling her eyes dramatically. "You don't have the guts, not with _him _watching." She glared at Taro, who returned the favor.

"Taro doesn't control me."

"Yeah, right. What did your big sis tell you about dating, huh, Kay-Kay?"

"You have lost _all _right to call me Kay-Kay, you little-"

"Kaida," Taro warned, seeing the glint and catching her arm. "I'll handle this one, okay?"

"Fine," she wrenched her grip free, and stomped from the room in the League's detention center.

"So how did you do it?" Taro asked again, when they were alone.

"Like I would tell you," Tama snorted.

"Are you sure you want to trifle with me?"

"Right- _you_. What, are you going to roll over my toes?"

"You know, the wheelchair jokes make me mad, and, I'm generally a very calm person, but- it's hard to control thousands of lifetimes of tempers sometimes, doesn't it?"

"You're bluffing. You know I don't need my hands unbound to bloodbend you to death, right?"

"No, I'm not bluffing. But you are. It's not a full moon anymore, and I saw how much effort non-physical bloodbending took even then."

"Fine," Tama hissed. "You want the truth? I honestly don't know how he found me. Kaida's little outburst was the first time I'd heard he was here." She looked down at her feet. "I don't know why you're so worried, though."

"Maybe because he's trying to kill me?"

"Yes, but you said Representative Takada was with him, so-"

"So?"

"You really don't know, huh?"

"Uh- no."

"Wow, Ami really_ was_ a-"

"Be careful what you say about my mother," he warned.

"Fine, oh mighty Avatar. I'm just saying- aren't you curious why your mother named you Taro?"

**I know the middle section was random, but I had to get it in sometime. Not really feeling this chapter too much, but heh. It's necessary, and it moved the plot. And a few words about the animal. Yes, it's Taro's "guide". I know, traditionally, it's an animal the Avatar can ride, but, for obvious reasons, that's pointless! And yes, I know with all the featured Avatars, the animal has been the same gender but I thought, why the heck not make it female. Who knows if Kyoshi's guide wasn't male, or Yang Chen's? I dare to be different. I do have a name picked out, and that will be revealed in the next chapter. And yes, the three-legged thing is suppose to strengthen their bond, since they understand each-other's struggles. **

**In other news, does Shai kinda look like a- word I don't want to type, in this chapter? Or is it just me? I like Shai, but- she is kind of- airheaded sometimes.**

**Anyway, drop a comment. A simple 'hey' is fantastic! If you have an opinion, share it. Unless you're a flamer. **

**And- I wonder how many times I used the name "Shai" in this chapter. LOL. **


	12. Chapter 11

**...Ohai, guys! :B**

** Been awhile hasn't it? I've been crazy busy (like CRAZY busy, you have no idea! I could write a whole other book to explain it), plus I participated in NaNoWriMo, so all my attention had been going towards that (yes, it took me this long to finish, even after I met the word count goal *hangs head*). Well, I had some spare time recently while traveling and I was reading fanfics on my phone, and I got to re-reading this one and I'm like, "Oh yeah...there's this." **

** So, um, enjoy and stuff. I'm sorry this took so long, but...free time? What is this strange anomaly of which you speak? **

_Chapter Eleven_

"Troubled mind, my child?" Taro looked up from his teacup, watching the very elderly Mori, Oma's friend, shuffle into compound's kitchen.

"A little," Taro sighed, looking into his glass. "I keep thinking about what Tama said―"

"What did she say to you, child?"

"She—asked if I ever wondered why my mother named me Taro. I'm really not sure what she was talking about."

"Did you ask Rina?"

"Yes, and she said it's what my birth mother branded me Taro with her dying breath. My mother wanted to respect her wishes. She wasn't sure why Ami picked it." He sighed, looking into his steaming cup. "It shouldn't have that much significance, should it? There are three other Taros in the academy alone. It's pretty a common name."

"Well, yes, she could've just decided she liked the name, but—it is a common thing to name babies after loved ones. What was the discussion before Tama brought that up?"

"Representative Takada," Taro said, a lump forming in his throat.

Mori shifted in her seat, her eyes dropping to the table. "His first name is common knowledge here, being a prominent political figure," she muttered.

Taro flinched, glaring into his teacup. "...It's Taro, isn't it?"

Mori nodded, and Taro leaned back into his chair, sighing as he raked his hands through his hair. His rested his chin in his hand, drumming his fingers on the table. "She's wasn't married, you know. My mother. City records couldn't provide a father, so―"

"―So you think it might be him?" Mori guessed.

"It could be—I'm not sure," Taro leaned back in his chair, sighing. "I can tell you I don't want it to be, though. I don't know how many more bombshells about my identity I can take."

"Understandable," Mori agreed.

Taro opened his mouth to say something, when he heard his sister's delighted giggle, and Kani burst into the room, hopping up onto Taro's lap. "You should've gone to the match, T-Ro! Pro-bending is so cool!"

"I know, kid," he laughed, ruffling her hair.

"T-Ro, was it true you joined the Buzzard-Wasps? A real team?" he eyes grew large, and Taro was briefly envious of her childlike innocence. Then, he promptly recanted that thought. Kani's life had robbed her of anything remotely close to innocence.

"Yeah. Kind of," he shrugged.

"Young lady," Rina said, appearing in the doorway. "Say goodnight to your brother. It's time for you to go to bed."

"Aw, Mom! _Fin _get's to stay up." Kani whined.

Rina folded her arms, furrowing her brows. "One, two—"

"Night, T-Ro!" Kani squealed, kissing her brother on the cheek and scampering out of the room.

"How was the match?" Taro asked his mother, his hands still laced around his teacup.

"Confusing," Rina said, sliding into a chair next to her son. "Would have been more fun for you. Why didn't you go?"

"A lot on my mind," Taro shrugged. "Who won?"

"The Raven-Eagles," Rina said, followed by a heavy, awkward silence. "Taro, if there's something—"

"Nope. Everything's just fine," he cut her off. "Mom, I have training with Kaida tomorrow. I'm going to turn in."

"Don't you dare," Rina warned. "I'm not done with you. Mori, I hate to sound rude after all you have done for us—but may I have some privacy with my son?"

"Of course," their host said, before promptly slipping out of the kitchen.

Rina gave it a few seconds before she addressed Taro, a whirlwind of emotions in her eyes. "I called Kane today," she said, choosing to start with small talk.

"Oh?" Taro asked, his tone listless. "What did he say?"

"The factory for which he works has a Ba Sing Se location, just outside the inner wall. He's going to try and get transferred, to be closer to us."

"That's great," Taro said, resting his chin in his hand.

Rina sighed heavily, leaning back in her chair. "Taro, baby," she said, "I know you've been through a lot the past couple of days, and I can only image how you must be feeling." She managed a broken smile. "But I'm here for you. I know it may not feel like it right now, but Kane and I are your parents. We're here for you." She rested her hands on top of his, and he gave her a reassuring half-smile.

"What Tama said," Taro finally spoke up, "it was about my birth father—I think."

"You think?"

"Well, I don't know." Taro rubbed the back of his neck. "She kind of alluded to the fact that he was—is Representative Takada."

"Taro, your mother was a bender," Rina said. "I highly doubt someone like Takada would have a relationship with her."

"Point," Taro said, with a yawn.

Rina smiled warmly, standing up to kiss his cheek. "I'll let you get some sleep, Baby," she said. "Try to cheer yourself up, alright? I hate to see you like this."

"Yeah, okay, Mom," he said. "Good night."

_TBR_

"T-Ro, wake up!"

Taro shrieked when Kani suddenly launched herself onto the bed, roughly knocking him in the side.

"Kani," Taro warned, giving his sister a little shove. She toppled off the bed. Unfazed, she hopped right back on and this time started jumping up and down on the mattress.

"I. Will. Never. Surrender," she declared, sitting on top of Taro. "That, and Mommy says it's time for breakfast."

"It's morning already?" he slurred, his mind still fuzzy.

"Yep," she agreed, enthusiastically kicking her legs back and forth.

"Ugh," he groaned, a little bit overdramatically. "Fine. Tell her I'll be out soon."

"Got it!" Kani squealed, rushing forth from the room and leaving Taro's door open. Taro's new animal friend picker her head up, curiously watching the little girl dart away.

"I know, girl," Taro said, pulling himself up and stretching, "she's nuts."

The pygmy puma got up at his voice, hopping over to his bed and then jumping up on it. The animal started at Taro with bright eyes, cocking her head to one side. Then, she laid her had on his lap and purred.

"Yeah," he laughed, "I wish I could stay in bed too." He scratched behind her ears, deep in thought. "I guess, if you're going to be sticking around here, you need a name. Do you like Kata?"

The animal immediately picked her head up in response, and Taro smiled. "Kata, then."

"Aw, that's adorable," Kaida laughed in jest, appearing in Taro's doorway. She obviously hadn't gotten ready for the day yet, because she was dressed in a white tank-top and plush blue pants, her hair tied into a messy side-braid.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Taro rolled his eyes. "What do you need?"

"Well, Akiko is demanding you and I start your waterbending training today," Kaida said, "and there isn't a suitable place in this house, so―arena it is."

"They'll let us use it?"

"They will if we play the Avatar card," Kaida grinned wickedly.

"You're not serious, are you? You really think they're ready to know who I am? Don't you think they'll be a little―disappointed?"

"I wasn't," she said, her gaze dropping to the floor.

"You're lying," Taro accused. "I can tell."

"Okay," Kaida sighed, "so you aren't the sack of muscle and bending fury I dreamed about when I was a little kid, but―it all that doesn't really matter now, doesn't it? Hopes and expectations aside, you're all we've got. The benders of Republic City_ need_ you to stop Shino, or he's going to destroy things for benders even more. He thinks he can do it, but, the truth is, Shino and his forces don't have the means. I know Shino, and he's no leader. Not strong enough to lead a movement to overthrow the equalists at least. Problem is," she leaned against the doorframe, pinching the bridge of her nose, "he doesn't realize that. He's going to run and muck and call it a 'glorious uprising,' but the only thing it will achieve is his imprisonment―or worse, death―and stricter laws for benders everywhere. He's not going to help, as much as he thinks he can. So, we have to stop him―_you_ have to stop him."

"No pressure or anything," Taro snorted.

"Taro," Kaida said, walking inside the room and sitting on the foot of his bed, "you think you're biggest limitations are your physical ones. But that's not true. _You're _your biggest limitation, because you're not willing to try." She looked at her hands, twisting the little string that hung from the waistband of her pants. "You can't see how amazing you really are, but I do. I've never seen someone give as much love as you give to your mother and sister. For them, you we're willing to defy odds, but why not now? There are so many families in the city―in the world―just like yours, who have struggled to survive since day one. It's not fair the way they're treated, and―and Shino's actions could make it even worse. You're too involved now," Kaida sighed. "I was willing to let you out, but that was before I discovered who you were."

"So, I have no choice," Taro said.

"You always have a choice," Kaida said, "I'm just telling you what the right one is."

"Thanks for the input," Taro muttered, looking away.

"If it makes any difference," Kaida said, "I think you'll be great at this. You're going to be an amazing Avatar―as long as you let yourself be one."

Taro looked up, meeting her cyan eyes, and he smiled half-heartedly.

"Roller-boy," she laughed, punching him in the arm.

"Psychopath," he muttered. She chuckled and blinked, her eyelashes fluttering. They were long and dark, a stark contrast to the brightness of her irises. He reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her eyes, surprising himself with his boldness. He felt the urge to lean forward to kiss her, but Shai's voice drifted from the hallway, and he jerked his hands back immediately.

"Hi," the airbender said, her bright expression indicating she hadn't seen a thing. "Taro, I was wondering if you wanted to―"

"Can't," Kaida cut her off. "He's got waterbending training. You can have him when he gets to air. She got up off the bed. "See you in the kitchen in a few. Dress for training, because we leave right after breakfast, okay?"

When he was alone again, Taro looked at his new animal companion. "So, how do you feel about coming to the arena with me?"

_TBR_

"You know when they find him, they're going to kill him."

Representative Takada picked up his head, looking at the young woman seated on his desk. She was wearing a chi-blocker uniform, but her mask was off, letting her tanned skin and bright eyes be exposed to the world. Takada let himself look at her for a fleeting moment, before his heart contracted. He always knew she was only a few years older than―

Well, if she'd grown up this much―

"This isn't something bloodbending can fix, like you'd hoped," the girl went on. "I mean, yeah, you can take his bending, but that doesn't change who he is. The Savior has waited too long to―"

"I know, Officer Irei," Takada snapped. "Please, shut up."

"Don't get snippy," Irei said, "I'm only trying to figure you out. Why'd you agree to come, if you knew we'd be looking for him?"

"The Savior came to my city. I can't decline a request to use my forces. It'd look mighty suspicious, wouldn't it?"

"I guess it would," Irei agreed. "So what are you going to do? You surely aren't going to let this investigation go forward, if it will lead to him."

"I have to do my duty, Officer. This I know. The hard part is ascertaining what is my duty."

"Taro," Irei said, her formality dropping away. Finally, he saw that little girl committed to his care after her family had turned her away. Well, committed to the care of his police force, but still, as a diplomat, he'd had much interaction with her. She was like a daughter to him. Only she wasn't his daughter. She was someone else's. Perhaps too much of her real father's daughter.

"You're not thinking of defecting, are you?" she asked.

"Irei," Representative Takada whipped around, "if that hypocrite thinks he can use you to extract information from me, he as another thing coming." He approached her. "Irei, why? Why for him?"

"Benjirou is my father," Irei said, her voice foreshadowing tears. "I cannot disobey him."

"Then you have made your choice, and we have nothing further to say to each other."

"Taro," Irei said, "don't you realize until now I have kept your true intention a secret?"

"Until my true intentions became something your daddy wanted to know," Taro snorted.

"Now who is the hypocrite, Taro?" Irei accused. "Remember, obeying your father is what got you into this predicament in the first place."

"Get out," Takada thundered, blood rushing to his ears.

"The Savior is mobilizing the forces," Irei said, "whatever decision you make, you might want to make it fast." And she put on her helmet and fled the room.

**Yeah. Sorry this took so long, and it was kinda short, but this felt like a place to stop the chapter. It's a nice cliffy, and it's emotionally pretty good. Hopefully it was worth the wait. Also, who are Irei and Benjirou you might ask? Well, why not take a stab? A hint, Benjirou means "son of two speeches" and Irei "to find favor." Big virtual hug to anyone who guesses it right. **

** Thanks for being patient! **


	13. Chapter 12

**Okay. I didn't update this as quickly as I wanted to but...I've been working on my research paper and such. I've actually had FOUR papers due in the last week and...ugh I'm so dead. But...free time. Yay! **

**Also, you noticed the title change, yes? I'm splitting this into two (possibly three) books because I realized how long my planned course of events is going to be in writing. So thus The Bender Revolution Book One: Uprising. (Book Two will be Strike and Three Conquer, if there is a book three. It just depends on the lengths. I'll try my best to condense this into two books. ) **

_Chapter Twelve_

"Ready to go?" Kaida asked, when Taro appeared in the foyer, dressed and ready. Kata was hopping along cheerfully at his side.

"...uh, sure?" he looked up at the other waterbender, an eyebrow raised. He wondered how Kaida would compare to Sifu Mina, who had been only other person to ever teach him bending. He had to admit, after knowing Kaida for a bit longer he was nervous to see her teaching style.

"Well," she said, putting her hands on her hips, "good. I hope you're not too attached to your arms. 'Cause they're gonna fall off."

"Is that a threat?" he grinned.

"A promise actually, but thanks for asking," she snorted. "You think I'm kidding. Yeah, I'm fun-loving Kaida outside the arena, but my pro-bender nickname is 'chief' for a reason, bucko."

Taro opened his mouth to say something, when loud footfalls sounded through the foyer and Fin skidded into the room. He was sheet-white and shivering so much he couldn't even walk a straight line. He stammered endlessly about something, and Kaida finally put her hands on his shoulders.

"What is it?" she asked, getting down on his level.

"Outside," Fin said, "on the arena scoreboards. It broadcasts vital news when the whole League needs to know something, and―"

"Let's go," was all Kaida said, and she and Taro followed the young earthbender around towards the back of the house. Mori's yard had a perfect view of the main league arena and its large scoreboards. Currently, a newscast from a Republic City station was being streamed in. _"Carnage in the United Republic," _the tagline read.

"Oh no," Taro whispered.

City hall was in flames, several workers and public officials being lead from the scene on stretchers. Ambulances and chi blocker police cruisers had gathered at the scene, officers attempting to calm the masses.

"The attack this morning was launched by a group of firebenders," the reporter was saying. Footage began to play of several of League members burning the place down with firebending. They ruthlessly cut down anyone in their path, even those who begged for mercy. Taro would have sworn they were equalists, if it weren't for the bending.

"Shino," Kaida groaned.

"Authorities have not let this deed go unpunished, and have located the headquarters for the crime, an institution our esteemed Savior has been searching out for years―Republic City's underground 'pro-bending' League. Authorities have issued several warrants and are, even as we speak, holding interrogations of primary members of the League in order to get to the bottom of the attack."

_ "No!"_

Akiko's head snapped up, and her face lost its color when the footage played of the chi-blocker police gutting the current location. Equalist authorities had brought in heavy machinery to tear down the arena, level the primitive hut-like structures that full-time residents used, and decimate anything else left over. Countless benders were being led from the scene in handcuffs.

Taro was numbly aware of a phone ringing in the house as panic in the streets of the Ba Sing Se League started to swell. Even from Mori's back porch, the lamenting was clearly audible. Rina stepped outside holding the cordless in her hand.

"Akiko," she said, "someone named Inari is on the phone for―"

Akiko jumped up, her eyes pooling with tears, and she scrambled for the phone like a starved moose-lion attacking its prey. "Inari?" her voice broke with sobs as she ran in the house to take the call.

Taro looked over at Kaida and noticed her shoulders were shaking. He just shook his head, holding out his arms and she fell into the waiting hug, seating herself on his lap. "What are we going to do, Taro? Shino wasn't supposed to make a move yet. We were supposed to have _time._"

He almost said he didn't know. But he realized now she was looking up to him for a reason. This was his...responsibility. _His _responsibility. He was...well, he was the Avatar.

It hit him like a ton of bricks what that meant for him.

It was his responsibility...

...the _world _was his responsibility.

This crisis had been placed on his shoulders, and he needed to have a clue.

"Hey, hey," he gently soothed. "Kaida, look at me." He cupped her face and kissed her forehead tenderly in an attempt to reassure her.

"I'll consult the other Avatars," he said quietly. "They'll know what to do. Korra and I will make a plan."

"Korra?" Kaida said. "You've been able to make contact with the other Avatars?"

"I grew up in a family that took spirituality seriously," Taro said.

He tried to grin. "Good thing, I guess."

"Yeah," she attempted to laugh through tears.

"Go in and check on Akiko," Taro said, "I'm sure Inari's giving her a damage report."

"Okay," she got up and turned to leave.

"And Kaida?"

She paused, turning toward him.

"Shino won't get away with this," he assured. "He's...well, he's threatening the balance of the world. And that's my job description to uphold, right?"

Kaida nodded before slipping back into the house, and Taro smiled in spite of himself.

"What was that?" an angry voice hissed, and all the good feeling shatter. Taro whipped around to see Shai, and he realized he'd had that little moment with Kaida right before his friend's eyes.

"Shai―"

"No," she said, taking a step back. "Explain that to me. Now."

"I was helping calm her down, Shai. I―"

"You _kissed _her," she shrieked, stomping towards him.

"On the forehead," he defended himself.

"But you still kiss her, Taro. What, do you just plant your lips on everybody now?"

"Shai, those people in there, their whole _world _just got uprooted. She was looking for comfort and I gave it to her. Simple."

"Then look me in the eye and tell me you feel nothing for her, Taro," Shai whispered.

"I―" he looked away, trying to find the words. "Shai, I―"

"You can't do it," she accused. "So, I mean _that _much to you, huh? You can't do the me the decency of not toying with me. You just go along with stupid whims and throw yourself at everyone pathetic enought to fall for you, right? Does she know about how you kissed me? Or were you using her too? I can't fathom this really, because I thought you actually cared about me, but I don't know. Maybe it's genetic. Just look at your birth moth―" she cut herself off when she realized she crossed the line, but did not apologize.

"Go inside the house. Now," he finally whispered. Without a word, she stormed off, slamming the sliding door behind her. Rina came out only seconds later.

"What's going on, baby?" she whispered, noticing his shaking shoulders.

"Mom, I screwed up. I screwed up big time," he said, "I hurt my best friend, and I can't figure out how to deal with my love life, and I have a world to save, and I'm supposed to stop a revolution from getting out of control, and I'm supposed to master all four elements like yesterday, and...and...and..." he cut himself off, letting a solitary choked sob break loose..."Mom, I can't even _walk_, how am I supposed to do all this by myself? I-I'm a kid."

"Taro baby," she whispered, "you're not alone. Me, your father, your sister, those friends you have, we're all here for you in our own way. We're going to do whatever you can, whether it be preparing you for what's ahead or just to helping you sort out all these emotions. I can't really say how I feel about this Avatar business, but I know you. I saw how you were when you wanted to find a job. It mattered to you so you didn't give one little thought to your physical limitations. I know I said it was foolish and idealistic to say you can do anything you set your mind to, but maybe we need a little idealism here. If you're truly meant to bring balance to the world as your friends say...then bring balance to the world. It won't be easy, and the road ahead of you is going to be harder than any mother wants to see her child face, but my goodness you're going to face it and I'm going to be there for you whether you like it or not."

"I'm scared," he admitted, and she smiled, kneeling down before him.

"I've been scarred too," she said, "the night I took you in, I didn't know what was ahead. I suddenly had this son I knew nothing about and had no idea how to take care of. You were literally the most frightening thing on the planet to me, but you were worth fighting for ,so, even though I had no idea what I was doing, I faced the challenge, asked for help, gave the best effort I could, and now look at you. Granted, what you're facing is a larger scale, but it's the same principle."

"Thanks, Mom," he whispered. "Look, about the things I said to you when I found out I was adopted―"

"You were hurt and had so many questions," Rina said, "it was only fair. I only wish I had answers for you. I think it would make it easier for you to accept this." She smiled, kissing his forehead. "Why don't you come inside and lay down for awhile, baby? I think everyone needs to cool down a little bit before any plans are made."

"Yeah," he said with a half-hearted sigh.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Rina added, "Besides, you look like the living dead you're so tired, and when your father arrives I don't want him thinking I can't take care of you."

TBR

"Savior," Takada said, entering the masked man's temporary headquarters, "you wanted to see me?"

The Savior turned around, the blank expression on his mask a little unsettling. The leader's beady eyes stared out at the representative, the only indicator of emotion Takada could go by. "Have you seen the news feeds from Republic City, Representative?"

"Of course, sir. They are...hard to miss. If you don't mind my asking―no, never mind. Forgive me."

"No, Representative. Ask away."

"What are you plans in dealing with the uprising?"

"The usual," the Savior laughed. "My predecessor, our great found Amon, had a naive vision, you know. One cannot totally rid the world of bending, it's just not possible with their sheer number. But one can rid the world of the benders' spirit. Benders are given an unfair advantage, so if one takes that advantage and uses it against them―well, then things are equalized. Or as equalized as they can be."

"Yes, sir," Takada muttered, pressing the Savior to go on.

"Well, naturally they don't like it. Who would, really, even if it is in the name of equality? We just need to isolate the ones that aren't happy. Remove the mentality that they have the ability to do something about their situation. If one is a detriment from society, one should be removed from society."

"Genocide?" Takada gasped, and the Savior laughed.

"Of course not, Representative," he chortled, "we need benders. They build our cities with their skills, provide cheap energy, take the jobs that no one else wants because no other ones are available. So not inhalation. _Isolation._"

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Takada said.

"Let us leave it at this," he Savior said, "I need to return to Republic City as soon as I can. The other Nations aren't under my control obviously, just my influence. I need to set up my model in my domain, and these rebel benders are the perfect test subjects. And I need all of my team for support. That means I need Official Tama as soon as possible. I need to find her, and I need to know if you're on board."

"Sir?"

"Don't act so surprised, Representative," Savior laughed, "your trust in Irei will be your downfall. She's always been a Daddy's girl at heart." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small little pin. It was an old silver thing, largely unimpressive and in the shape of a crescent moon, but Takada gasped at the sight of it.

"Taro Takada, I know everything," the Savior hissed, "so I suggest deciding where your loyalties lie. And doing it quickly."

TBR

Taro sighed, starring at the ceiling of his bedroom. No one had protested when he'd locked himself inside, because no one was ready to make a coherent plan of action. True, Hiroki, Inari, and Oma were safe, having been working outside of the League anyway after Shino had taken over, but that didn't mean Kaida, Akiko, and Fin weren't emotionally invested in many (or all) of the victims. It was a mess, and Taro was the lucky sucker who was charged with somehow picking up the pieces.

"Ha, and I wanted a job so badly―be careful what you wish for, Kata."

The pygmy-puma lifted up her head and hopped over to her new master, resting her head on the side on his bed. "Well, come on up," he said and she happily did so, curling up against his side.

"I guess I should make good on my word and try and contact Korra, huh?"

She swished her tail in response and Taro sighed. "Thought so too." He heaved himself up and folded himself into the best version of a meditative stance. "I don't really know how exactly this works, but―" he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, reaching deep within himself to try and find something there.

What seemed like seconds later, he heard a giggle. "Kani," he growled. "I'm in the middle of something important. Go play with Fin."

"Rude," a unknown voice accused, and Taro's eyes flew open. A little girl was standing right before him with her hands on her hips but a bright smile on her face. "Hi," she said, spinning around. Her orange dress twirled with her, her long black braid sweeping across her back like pendulum.

"Um...who in the world are you?"

"Jae," she said with a 'duh' tone, still spinning.

"...and that's supposed to mean something, because...?"

She stopped spinning, giggling again. "Because I'm the Avatar before you."

"...But you're twelve."

"I was eleven when I died actually, but I forgive you since you're new to this."

"Okay, well I kind of asked for Korra, how in the world did I get you?"

"Because you need me," Jae said.

"I need you? I thought I'm the first Avatar since Korra to know of my identity. Why do I need you?"

"Just because I didn't know I was the Avatar doesn't mean I'm totally useless to you now," she huffed.

"Okay, fair enough, but you never got to actually be the Avatar, so―"

"Slow down there, tigerdillo," Jae put her hands up, "you want to be effective as an Avatar, you've got to get your personal issues straightened out."

"My issues?"

"Um, you just found out you were adopted, leaving a gazillion questions about your birth parents. Ring a bell?"

"Yes," Taro whispered.

"Luckily for you, I knew your mother."

"...what?"

"She was my nanny," Jae smiled.

"My mom was a nanny?"

Jae smiled. "In order to understand your future, Taro, I need to make the past clear for you. So you're taking a trip. Follow me."

"Um...how?"

"Walking, silly. Normally, Avatars use their guide animal to cart each other around, but I was too young to have one, so we're doing this the rustic way."

"Jae, is that some come of sick joke?"

"I didn't think I was being funny. What was a joke?"

"You said walking," he blinked.

"Oh yeah, you can do that here. Welcome to the Spirit World!"

**Finally the moment I've been wanting to share with you forever. I'm actually writing a whole novelette on the side about T-Ro's birth parents and I get to explain it all. Yes, Jae died super young, but the back-story will explain that. **

**I actually have all the Avatars between Korra and Taro mapped out in my head (and even the one after Taro, just because I had some much fun designing the other three I was like, heck, why not one more). I wrote a one-shot like forever ago that goes into their personalities and such and a little bit about their back stories (especially Jae). I would have posted it, but it has MAJOR spoilers for this, so I didn't. Maybe afterwards, who knows? **

**Well, hope you enjoyed! **

.


	14. Chapter 13

**Hey...and stuff! Well, anyway for someone super excited to write this chapter I took a long time on it. Heh. **_**But **_**here it is, fresh off the presses for you. Not much to say except enjoy.**

_Chapter Thirteen_

"...What?" Taro blinked at the little girl, and she rocked back on her heels with another giggle.

"It's not hard. One foot in front of the other," Jae assured. "I'll help." She skipped forward with her hand out and Taro numbly took it. "And a-one, two, three," and she jerked him to his feet. For a little girl so small and wiry, Jae was incredibly strong.

Once standing, Taro towered over her at a bit over six foot. This was a feeling, needless to say, Taro wasn't quite used to having. He shakily turned around, to see himself still sitting on the bed. "But..." he stammered.

"It's the Spirit World," Jae explained. "You're not..._physically_ here."

He was glad she spoke, or else he would have gone into sensory overload. "Oh," was all he said. "So when I leave I won't be able to―"

"Sorry, no," Jae sighed. "If you need a moment, I can―"

"No, let's just go," he sighed.

"Follow me then," Jae nodded.

Taro took a wobbly but successful step forward, and the scenery changed. He and Jae were not standing in a room much larger than the one's at Mori's place. Tall walls made of dark wood and an ornate rug sprawled out around him, vast like an open field.

"This is the size of my apartment," he muttered.

"My playroom," Jae said. "Look."

Taro noticed a much younger version of Jae sitting in the middle of the room. She had a doll, ornately dressed, but Jae didn't look very much interested in playing with it. She was just sighing and stroking the thing's pretty black hair, looking longingly into its black little eyes.

"That's you," Taro stated the obvious, turning to his young predecessor.

"This is the day I first met your mother," Jae explained. "You maternal grandmother was my mother's secretary. One day, your maternal grandfather was busy at work, so Ami had to come by my house so her mother could drive her back to their apartment."

As soon as Jae finished speaking, the door opened and a teenaged version of Ami stepped inside. When she saw Jae, the young bender shook her head and flushed. "Oh, miss! I'm sorry. I was looking for my mother, and the head of staff gave me directions. I most have made a wrong turned. I'll just―"

"You're pretty," the young Jae cut Ami off, and the teenager cocked her head to one side.

"Thank you, miss. You're Official Shani's daughter?"

"Yes. I'm Jae. What's your name?"

"Ami," the teenager said.

"Why are you wearing funny clothes, Ami?"

"These? Oh, it's my school uniform. Do you not wear uniforms at your school, Jae?"

"No," Jae shook her head, "I study at home."

"Oh, that must be very lonely. Do you get to play with very many kids your age?"

"No," Jae sighed. "I don't have anyone to play with. Mommy says I can't go out because of―oopsie." She gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.

"Because of why?"

"I'm not s'posed to say," younger Jae shook her braided head rapidly.

"Well, I won't pry then," Ami said. "I'll just go and find my mother, and―"

"Wait, Ami!" Jae said. "Can you stay and play with me? Please."

"Well―"

"Please?"

"Sure, Jae," Ami smiled, "my mother probably isn't finished working anyway."

Taro watched as the two started playing a game with Jae's doll, and then Jae suddenly looked happier and more relaxed. "I wish I could do this more often," Jae sighed, "but Mommy says because I'm a bender―oops!" Jae gasped, looking up at Ami with a terrified expression.

"You're a bender?" Ami said. "An official's daughter is a bender? What element?"

"Air. I'm not very good," Jae sighed.

"You're young yet," Ami said.

"You can't tell, Ami," Jae said, "Mommy will be really mad."

"I won't breathe a word, I promise," Ami swore. "But why does she want to keep it a secret? Didn't your mother inherit this position when your father passed, anyway?"

"Yeah, but Mommy says it pays good. It's the only thing that can pay for my medicines."

"Medicines?"

"I fell bad a lot," Jae sighed, "more than I feel good. The medicines help me, or at least the doctors say so."

"You poor thing," Ami sighed.

"Who are you?" a sharp voice said, and Ami jumped to her feet with a gasp.

"Official Shani," the teenager blurted, dropping in a respectful bow. "Forgive me. I'm your secretary's daughter, and I―"

"You're wearing an Academy for Equality uniform," Shani snapped. "Your element?"

"Water, Official. Forgive me. I―"

"Mommy! Ami's really nice. She was gonna play with me. Maybe you can let her stay?"

"Her mother's shift is over, darling. Ami has to go now."

"But _Mommy_," Jae whined, "I didn't feel so lonely when Ami was here. And the headache I had earlier is gone too."

"It is?" Shani asked, suddenly looking Ami up and down.

"Uh huh, Mommy. Honest!"

"Maybe Ami can come back tomorrow―and many other days if you want her to," Shani said. "Your mother has been asking me for extra hours, but perhaps if you both work for me that will solve the plight? I want you to watch after my Jae for at least a few hours a night."

"Oh yes, Madam Official!" Ami's eyes grew wide. "That would be wonderful! Thank you!"

The scene started to shift, and the current Jae turned toward Taro. "Your mom did come back," Jae explained, "and when she graduated from the Academy, because she understood what it was like to be a bender and was reliable with the secret, Ami was hired as my full time Nanny. Her first summer as full-time staff, when she was eighteen and I was about to turn eleven, was when she met your dad."

The scene shifted to a little office, where Ami and older woman the was presumably her mother were talking. As the image grew clearer, so did their words.

"This means a lot to Official Shani," Ami's mother was saying, "if the visit goes well and the chief, prince, and princess are happy, Shani might be looking at a promotion from the Savior."

"Which means more money to care for Jae," Ami smiled.

"And raises for us," her mother said. "Keep that little one on her best behavior."

"I'm always well behaved," a voice laughed, and Jae, now closer to her current self in looks, poked her head out from the curtains.

"How long have you been listening, young lady?" Ami scolded.

"Only for all of it," she shrugged.

"Well, come on," Ami sighed, "your mommy's guests are arriving soon and we need you to be ready. Goodbye, Mother."

"Okay, Nanny Ami," Jae said, holding out her hand. "Let's go."

The pair walked hand-in-hand down the hallway towards Jae's room, where Ami started brushing the little undiscovered Avatar's long black hair. "You remember how much this means to your mommy, yes?"

"Of course I do, Miss Ami," Jae nodded. "I won't speak unless spoken to and I'll try to be polite when I answer."

"Good girl," Ami nodded. "We'll go someplace fun if you're good tonight, okay?"

"Yes, Nanny," Jae sighed, a frown etching onto her features. "My head hurts, Nanny. Do I have to go to dinner?"

"Chief Takada is expecting it," Ami sighed, an apologetic smile on her face. "You know he'll take it as an insult. I think it's cruel, of course, but―I'll be with you. I promise. Squeeze my hand if you feel too sick, okay?"

"Okay," Jae sighed, though she didn't appear to be feeling any better about the situation.

"Here," Ami laughed, unpinning the crescent moon pin from her shirt. "Wear this tonight. The moon was the first waterbender, and she watched over those who are good at heart."

"Really?"

"I'll have to tell you her story later, Jae. But for now we have to finish getting you ready."

Ami finished Jae's hair, tied it back into an ornate flower headpiece, and then slipped Jae into a pretty orange dress with lotus designs all over it. When Ami was smoothing down the wrinkles, Emiko, the head of staff, came rushing in.

"Ami, the chief is here. The carriage just rode up. Have Jae downstairs. Quickly."

"Come, sweetheart!" Ami gasped, nudging the little girl towards the door. The pair descended the grand staircase as quickly as they could while looking dignified to find Shani already waiting in the foyer.

"There you are," the official gasped. "Good. Stand still, my little Jae. Good girl. That's my darling."

"I think Mommy is nervous," Jae whispered. Ami shushed her, but not without a tiny smile.

The doors were thrown open, and an extremely tan and fairly handsome man in relatively plain clothes entered. His hair was only a little long and tied up in a ponytail, and he had half-moon glasses slipping towards the bridge of his nose. He coughed and slipped them into place, giving an adorable smile before announcing in a surprising deep voice, "Chief Suluk Takada of the Northern Water Tribe and his children, Princess Noriko and her young brother Prince Taro."

"Yes, thank you, Nilak," an impatient voice huffed. "Now move out of the way."

"Yes, sorry, Uncle―I mean, Chief Takada," the one called Nilak said, stepping aside so the regal trio could enter the home.

Chief Takada was very...Water Tribe, to say the least. While Ami, a Republic City native, had many features unusual for a waterbender, the official was every stereotype in the book. Toned and tan, he wore his brown hair long and only half tied back. He regarded his surroundings with sharp Cerulean eyes. Behind him stood two much younger adults, very close in age to one another and both dressed as immaculately as the chief.

The first was woman with an ornate braid in her dark brown hair. She was gloriously shaped, and the epitome of what every little girl wanted to grow up to be. Her collar bone was well defined, and her long sweeping dress screamed princess. It's light blue stood out against her wonderfully tanned skin, and it swept the floor. The sequin-adorned fabric made her eyes sparkle in the light. Noriko, Ami assumed.

Her brother looked like a much younger version of the chief, with slightly shorter hair and softer eyes. In well-tailored clothes inspired by traditional Water Tribe garb, his pure blood carriage made Ami and her pale skin, grey eyes, and curly brown hair shrink back a bit. Prince Taro, without a doubt.

Ami looked like she wanted to shy away and that she was starting to like Jae's idea of skipping the dinner, but knew she couldn't. Sighing, she looked at the floor while still holding her young charge's hand.

"Is this your daughter, Official?" Noriko asked, and Ami snapped her head up, as if remembering she was on duty.

"Yes," Shani agreed. "Come, Jae, my dear. Let the princess have a good look at you."

"Go on, sweetie," Ami assured, patting Jae on the head before relinquishing the little girl's hand.

"Please to meet you, Lady Noriko," Jae said, gracefully bowing.

"Such manners," the princess said approvingly. "Mommy and Nanny Ami taught me everything I know."

"They have taught you well child," Noriko nodded, then looked up and laughed. "I like your pin, my sweet."

"Nanny Ami gave it to me," Jae smiled, "she is of water tribe decent as well."

"Oh do not tell me that half-bred little mutt is your nanny. Surely just an assistant brought in?"

"Ami's not a―" Jae started to protested, but bit her tongue. "Ami is my nanny, My Lady."

"Interesting," Noriko laughed, her eyes as cunning as a weasel-snake's. Slowly, she approached Ami and grabbed the younger woman's wrist, laughing at the bender brand. "Shani, you even hired a _bender_? Please, you do like to tease me so!"

"Ami is very good," Shani assured, her face calm but her eyes burning with rage, "and everyone in Republic City is 'half-bred' I'm sure the Savior is as well."

"Are you being fresh with me, Official?" Noriko snapped.

"Sister," Prince Taro, obviously a young Representative Takada, sighed, "you've had your fun. Stop criticizing the woman's help and let's just go eat. I'm hungry."

"Yes, Taro," Chief Takada sighed, "I am too. Let's get to the carriage. Nilak, you are riding with Ami and the child."

"Yes, sir."

The group moved outside, the modern-day Taro and Jae following after them. Two sleek black stato-mobiles had been parked before the manor and Shani, Noriko, Representative Takada, and Chief Takada all piled into the larger, more ornate of the two. Ami started to lead Jae towards the smaller car, when Nilak caught the young woman by her shoulder. She whipped around to face him, and his glasses slid down again.

"I'm sorry about―" he sighed, pushing his troublesome spectacles back into place―"stupid things―I'm sorry about my cousins. They can be such spoiled brats sometimes. Royals, am I right?" He laughed, his glasses sliding down again. He made a move to fix them, when they slipped off his face completely.

"Here," Ami said, reaching down to pick them up at the same time Nilak went for them. Their hands touched, and Ami pulled hers back quickly. Nilak snatched up his glasses and put them back on.

"Um," he said, his voice cracking, "we should get in the car now."

"Yes. We should. Come on, Jae."

"And that Taro," the Spirit World version of Jae laughed, "is how your parents met."

**Oh, you thought Representative Takada was Taro's father? Well, gotcha! I couldn't be so predictable all the time. And trust me, there's more twists where that came from. Part 2 of this will be coming soon. And it explains why Ami named the baby after Representative Takada. I personally like the fact the slightly nerdy guy and not the hot prince gets the girl. LOL. As always, reviews are loved! Until next time!**


	15. Chapter 14

**Can someone say, "Moonlit is totally stress free now?" Okay, so I got good grades on all my papers and life is good. So I'm celebrating by hopefully writing up a storm. I still have to edit my NaNo novel, but I have so much time. *cries at the beauty of free time* I've been working on a lot of back story (and future stuff) with the characters from this story. I'm doing family trees for the mains, delving into back stories more, just a bunch more stuff that will hopefully enhance your experience reading this. Anyway, this chapter is going to wrap up Taro's journey in the Spirit world, but we're not done with back stories totally. There's also some big battles planned as well and some more twists.**

**I'm having a blast with this. Honestly, I've been having so much fun with all my research and practice and it's been great. I just want to thank all of my readers. **

**Now, on with the story!**

_Chapter Fourteen_

Taro wanted to stare, to just forget about everything waiting for him outside the spirit world and just revel in the moment that began the path toward his existence. He wanted to reach out and grab Ami and Nilak, the ones who held answers to all the questions about his birth parents, and hold the moment forever. He wanted to pretend this story, however it played out, had ended happily. But his adoption into a new family entirely was living proof that wasn't the case. He couldn't be naive forever. He couldn't afford to be.

Jae reluctantly stepped forward, slipping her little hand inside Taro's. "We're going to flash forward awhile, okay?"

The current Avatar numbly nodded, letting his parents' first meeting fade from his vision as Jae continued to speak, "Chief Takada and his family were to be in my house for six months. During that time Ami's mother, the only remaining family my nanny had, contracted an illness that had been going around the city. With my delicate health, I got it too. Yet, the diplomatic mission had to go on. Mommy sent me, your mother, and a few others servants, along with your grandmother to our countryside summer home to recover while my mother dealt with political business. As a gesture of friendship, Chief Takada sent his nephew with us to 'keep us company.' That's where their romance truly began and blossomed."

The stage set, the scene started to become clear. He heard laughter first, distinctly Ami's, and then suddenly the kitchens of a comfortable countryside cottage came into view. Ami and Nilak, dressed in nightclothes, stumbled into the room between fits of laughter, a red-faced Ami reaching up to try and shush Nilak. He coughed a bit to swallow his laughter, then took a seat at the island in the middle of the kitchen. Ami crossed over to the icebox and cupboards, grabbing the teakettle and setting it on the stove while placing two cups and saucers on the island.

"Nilak, I never want this to end," Ami whispered, looking up at him. "I don't want you to go home."

"I have to, Ami," he sighed, "you know I do."

"But why? Your cousins, they're terrible to you. Noriko and Taro are such spoiled things, how do you put up with them?"

"Say what you want about Noriko, Ami, but be careful about how you speak of Taro. I owe him my life."

"You do?" Ami asked.

"We were little, out playing off by ourselves while our fathers, both still princes at the time, were hunting. I fell through the ice, Taro rescued me. He truly protects me as well. He's a bit pampered yes, and his prejudice at times cannot be denied, but he is a pure man at heart. I respect him. His sister shall take the throne of the tribe, as she is the oldest and the Savior has encouraged the Northern Tribe to rid itself of our gender heir laws. But, even after Noriko's coronation, I shall serve her brother. I will be his steward, if I have my wish. It consoles me through my work with Chief Suluk."

"All this talk of the future," Ami sighed, "and what about us?"

"You, Ami," Nilak smiled, pushing his glasses into place before they could slide again, "shall come with me wherever I go." He rounded the counter and pulled her into a hug. "You'll be mine forever."

"Nilak," Ami whispered, smiling coyly, "is that the type of proposal I think it is?"

"I've already pledged myself to you," Nilak whispered into her hair, "why not make it official? I'll work for my cousin, which will bring a handsome income, and you can do whatever you wish, have whatever you wish. We'll grow old together, name our son Taro or daughter after your late aunt of whom you were so fond. We'll grow old together, raise grandchildren. We'll be the happiest creatures in the world, Ami."

"Your uncle, would he allow it? He is responsible for you, without your parents living. He can forbid it, yes?"

"I'm and adult Ami, the worst he can do is cut me off, but he won't have to forbid it," Nilak assured. "Taro has been preparing for a political future as well, working closely with the Savior himself on many projects. He knows something wonderful about the Savior."

"What?" Ami asked, staring up at him with lovesick eyes.

"He knows how to remove bending," Nilak whispered, "you'll finally be the perfect wife, and we will not have to worry about my uncle or anyone else."

"Would my bending inhibit me from being a good wife, Nilak?" she stiffened a bit in his hug.

"No, my love," Nilak said, holding her at arm's length. "I merely meant that we would no longer have to worry about the opinions of others―"

"And what of the opinions of others? Is that how love is truly measured, Nilak? I think not."

"Ami, I am the chief's nephew, my blood is dignified. I mean no offense, but you must think of the implications your bending―"

"So my bending inhibits your from loving me, Nilak, and keeps you from truly willing to commit to me? It taints your 'perfect blood'?"

"No, Ami, I don't mean that. I simply―"

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you are still willing to marry me, even if I refuse to let the Savior remove my bending."

"Ami, why _wouldn't _you let―" he started, but she merely shook her head.

"Wrong answer," she whispered. The teakettle started to whistle, but she only looked at it and shook her head before storming, tears streaking down her pale face, from the room.

The scene shifted again, back to Shani's main estate. Ami sat alone in Jae's bedroom, looking tired and worn out. Jae came out from behind the changing screen in a little dress with the silver moon pin adorning it, her innocent face sad as she beheld Ami.

"Nanny," she whispered, "I'm sorry your Mommy didn't get better."

"Oh, Jae," Ami whispered, pulling the little girl into her lap, "she's with the moon now. My mother said with her last breath, 'Yue has me in her beautiful pale arms, Ami.' Jae, my mother, she'll―" Ami's voice cracked―"she'll be fine."

"I'm sad that you and Nilak don't love each other anymore," Jae sighed, resting her head on Ami's shoulder. Ami stiffened.

"Jae, how did you―"

"I...well, I watched you sometimes. I saw you kiss him in the gardens one night, and...and well it was just obvious after that. What happened?"

"Nilak and I aren't mean to be," Ami said, "he can't handle my bending."

"Can non-benders and benders marry, Nanny?"

"Of course they can, sweetheart. It just takes real love. I guess―well, I guess Nilak and I didn't have that. I was stupid, Jae, I really was."

"You could never be stupid, Nanny. I want to be like you someday."

"You do now?" Shani said, entering the room. "What were you discussing, sweetie?" the official asked conversationally. She didn't seem mad, so Ami assumed that Shani hadn't heard about Nilak.

"Just Ami's mommy," Jae said, and Ami gave the girl's shoulder's a squeeze in thanks.

"Well, I hate to interrupt," Shani said, giving Ami a sympathetic smile, "but it's time to see the chief and his family off. Ami, I won't subject you to Noriko if you don't wish it."

"Thank you, Ma'am," Ami nodded her head.

When Jae came back, the pin was gone from her dress, but Ami didn't notice it. The Spirit World Jae, however, boldly pointed it out. "I gave it secretly to Nilak," Jae said, "I could see how much they loved each other. They were just hurt by their own pride."

"Well, what happened after that?" Taro asked, looking down at his predecessor.

"You did," she said, and the scene changed again.

It was Jae's playroom, but the living version of the young air Avatar was frowning at a retching noise coming from the nearby powder room rather than playing with her toys. Ami came back in a few moments later, looking pale and shaky.

"Nanny Ami, did you throw up?" Jae asked frankly.

"I'm fine, sweetie," Ami assured, "just feeling a little―off."

"Nanny―"

"No more questions, Jae," Ami sighed, "what game do you want to play this morning?"

"Well―"

"Ami," Shani came into the room, her voice sounding icy.

"Mommy, aren't you in your study today?"

"Jae, Mommy has to talk to Ami," Shani said, "play quietly for now. Ami, my study. Now."

"Yes, Madam Official," Ami whispered.

"Nanny―" Jae started to get up.

"It'll be okay, " Ami put her hand out, "just listen to your mommy, okay?"

Then Ami followed Shani from the room, the Spirit World versions of Taro and Jae shuffling after. As Taro followed his mother and her past employer, he could see the panic and agony on poor Ami's face. She already knew she'd made a mistake, but her payment for it had only just began.

"Ami," Shani said, sitting down at her desk when the pair reached the study, "there's a bill from a Benders' Borough doctor addressed to you. You know you have access to our family doctor, yes?" She tossed the unopened envelope across towards Ami.

Emiko from the kitchens, who always got the post, had promised to weed out any letters for Ami. She must of missed it.

"You know I don't like to invade privacy, Ami. I don't. But it looks _bad _when a Bender's Borough address shows up at my house. Bad for Jae."

"I understand, Official. I didn't mean to endanger anyone with my actions. I just―"

"Well, you did. Noriko raised suspicion enough, now _this_―why, Ami, why would you pull a stunt like this?"

"Can you just say it was me, that you don't allow me to see a family doctor? They'd believe it."

"Maybe they would, Ami," Shani said, "but that still doesn't explain _why? _Why even put the risk on my family, when you have better doctors waiting if you'll just ask me―"

"I'm pregnant, Madam Official," Ami sobbed out, finally cracking. She buried her face in her hands and cried, "and I was _stupid_, and now―"

"With _whose _child, Ami?" Shani cut her off.

"Madam Official, I―"

"Answer the question."

"N-Nilak, ma'am," Ami squeaked. "I loved him, Official, I really did. I know I should have waited, but I just―"

"Nilak?" Shani snapped. "Under _my _roof?"

"Well, at the countryside―"

"It's still my roof," Shani snapped, "and what's worse I'd entrusted the summer estate to your care, entrusted you to care for _my _honored guest. I trusted you, Ami. You were my most beloved _servant._" The world "servant," was bitter, a reminder of Ami's place and the honor code she'd more than broken―she'd shattered to pieces.

"And Jae?" Shani continued. "She looks up to you so much, what kind of example does this set? What should I tell her?"

Ami started to tear up even more. "I―"

"Were you ever going to tell me, Ami? Or were you just going to hide it until I couldn't help but notice."

"Madam, Official―" Ami blubbered. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm so scared, I―I just―"

"Ami," Shani sighed, finally softening a bit. She rounded the desk, kneeling before the young waterbender. "You're eighteen...a _child _ ?"

"I was in love―I thought I was, but―"

"Does he know, Ami? You know he's in no position to―"

"I wrote him a week ago, when I first found out, but―" Ami shook her head and cried some more. "Help me," she begged, her whole body trembling. "Please, you're all I have left, Madam Official. I know I disrespected the trust you placed in me, but you and Jae really are the only thing I can even remotely consider family."

"Ami, you know I can't let you stay. I have to think of Jae, of public opinions. My position is tricky."

"Madam Official―"

"Please, don't make this harder on me than it already is, child. I'll give you time to pack and money enough to stay in a Benders' Borough motel for a month. I can do nothing more. My hands are tied."

"Yes, Madam Official. May I say goodbye to Jae? Please."

"No," Shani shook her head. "I think it's best if we don't make this harder on Jae than it needs to be. I'll send up my head of staff to give you the money before you leave."

"Yes, ma'am," Ami said numbly, not even making eye contact with Shani as the poor young bender left the room.

"The letter," Taro whispered, "did Nilak ever get it?" Taro whispered, watching the very distressed official fall into her chair and cry silently.

"See for yourself," the air Avatar whispered, and the scene melted again, this time to a modest room, clearly decorated in Water Tribe fashion. Nilak was seated on the bed, while the younger version of Representative Takada was seated at the small desk, watching Nilak read the letter.

"Father knows," Takada finally whispered. "He wasn't going to tell you at all, but I swiped it."

"I have to go back for her, Taro. I have to do the right thing."

"Nilak, you know you can't. "

"But it's_ my_ baby she's going to have," Nilak whispered, "I'm just as responsible as she is in this situation."

"You're not even supposed to know," Takada said. "You know how fond Shani is of that girl. Ami and her baby will be well taken care of."

"But that child deserves a father," Nilak whispered, "only I can do that."

"You know it's not possible," Takada folded his arms.

"Taro," Nilak begged. "We have to find a way. At least―at least let me send the two money...some sort of support."

"I'll find your them, track them down," Takada assured, "and I'll find a way to make that happen. Nilak, I love you like a brother. Which makes that child my niece or nephew, technically speaking. I'll make sure all is well."

"Thank you," Nilak smiled. "May I keep the letter?"

"I have to return in to Father before he notices its missing, but I can give you time to copy it."

Nilak nodded, already crossing over to his desk, and Takada sighed. "I'll see you in an hour, okay?"

Jae turned to her successor, who was frowning at the scene. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"My mother never got that money," Taro shook his head. "Oma said when she came to the League she was starving and ill."

"Well, with your mother off in Benders' Borough, it made it difficult for her or you to be found. And once you were adopted into Rina and Kane's family, it was even harder. They just simply couldn't track you down without altering higher-ups to what had happened."

Taro shook his head, a pang of guilt rising up in his chest. How many families, how many love stories, was he going to utterly ruin with his very existence?

"If it makes you feel better," Jae whispered, "she died a reasonably happy woman. Look."

Yet again the environment was changing, this time to any overly cramped and run-down noodle shop in what was no doubt Benders' Borough. Ami, pale, shivering, and noticeably round, was slumped over the counter, enviously watching her customers gorge themselves.

"Rent was high, pay was poor," Jae explained. "With all her expenses, it was hard for her to afford many decent meals. My mother was feeling guilty enough. I died only a few months after Ami left, right before you were born. I was heartbroken over the loss of my only friend. Ami had been reading in the newspapers, hearing on radio, and seeing on television broadcasts how poorly my health was doing. She never wanted to burden my mother, so Ami struggled on. Then, this happened."

The bell on the door dinged as soon as soon as Jae finished speaking, and the laughter of a child broke through the noodle shop. A little girl that looked strangely familiar to Taro pranced up to the counter, a young woman and two toddlers following behind.

"Hi," the girl approached Ami, "I'm seven today!"

"Inari," the young woman laughed, setting down both of the toddlers, "go ahead and give the nice lady your money and order."

"Hi," Inari said, "I'd like a bowl of noodles for each of us."

"Alright, four bowls coming up," Ami said, a smile spreading across her face. The young Inari slipped the money across the counter with a big smile and Ami chuckled while taking it.

"And where did you become such a rich young lady?" Ami asked, handing the girl back her change.

"My Gran-Gran gave it to me for my birthday," Inari said proudly.

"Well, it's very nice of you to―" Ami cut herself off, suddenly coughing roughly into her arm. She doubled over for a minute to catch her breath, but it took her a little long to do so for comfort. While she was panting for air, Inari's mother walked forward, the toddlers, obviously Hiroko and Akiko, curiously following her.

"Are you okay, miss?" the woman asked.

"Yes, yes I'm fine. I've just had this nasty cough for awhile is all. It will pass."

"You should see a doctor for it," Inari's mother advised.

"Oh, I would, but I―" she hesitated―"I'm fine, really." Taro recognized the look in Ami's eyes, because Rina and Kane often carried the same inward panic―realizing a necessity could not be afforded. Rina was sick often, but seldom went to the doctor, especially when Taro and Kani were younger and Taro was still in therapy with hopes of walking one day. When Taro asked why, Rina would smile and say she looked worse than she really felt. But there was always a certain glance in her eyes, one that Taro came to realize was a telltale sign of an outright lie. There simply wasn't enough money to take care of everything. Inari's mother seemed to understand.

"Ma'am, if I may," Inari's mother said, holding up her branded wrist.

Ami presented her benders' brand shyly, avoiding eye contact as Inari's mother examined it.

"Do you like to watch sports, Ami?"

"I suppose so," Ami said, with a shrug.

"You seem good with children. Have you ever thought about being a nanny for a living?"

"I―" Ami's voice broke―"well, yes I've considered it."

"If you don't mind, I think I'll stay here until your shift's over. I have a proposal you might like."

"Alright," Ami said, "I have nothing else to lose."

"No you don't," the other woman agreed.

"Miss," Ami said after a long pause, "may I have a name for your order?"

"Yes, of course. I am Samir. I really think you'll like what I have to say."

"You know the rest," Jae whispered.

"I do," Taro said.

"I have to take you back now," Jae said.

"I know."

And the room faded back to Mori's house. Jae stood there, watching as Taro stared numbly at the floor. "She was alive. Alive and well. It was almost like I could touch her. I didn't know her before, it was hard to be sad. But now―"

"―now I think you know what to do, right?" When Taro stared at her in surprise, curious as to know how he'd been forming a plan the whole time, Jae laughed a bit, "I am technically speaking you, remember?"

"Thank you, Jae," Taro sighed.

"You're welcome, Taro," Jae said. "Remember, the past Avatars are all here for you. Remember what Rina said. It's okay to ask for help every now and again."

Then she faded away, and Taro suddenly opened his eyes on an empty room, Kata starring at him with curious eyes. He tried with a vain hope to move his leg, but with no response as Jae had said. All the emotions, halted and numbed by the pace at which his mother's story was playing out, suddenly hit Taro like a ton of bricks. His chest tightened, and he silently wept for Ami, dying alone in a hospital room where everyone who care for her and she cared for could never find her.

Suddenly, there was a knock, and Kaida came in. "Rina said I shouldn't disturb you, but―"

He shook his head and let another tear slip from his eyes, and she silently came and sat down beside him. "What happened?"

"I know now," he said, "about my birth parents. She died alone, Kaida. All alone."

"But not unloved," Kaida assured, "not unloved."

They were silent for awhile, just sitting there and staring, Kata watching them closely. "I met the Avatar before me. Her name was Jae. She died young. Ami was her nanny," Taro finally said.

Kaida looked up. "Oh?"

"She showed me my past, my origins. And now I know what he have to do. I have three names of potential allies. Shino made his move, it's time for us to make ours."

**Okay, so yeah. There we go. There's the full back-story. I have a lot more sweet moments planned out, but it would have been too long. So I abridged it for the sake of the story. Next chapter is back to the present. Yes, Akiko, Hiroki, and Inari's parents are dead, but more on that later. Well, anywho, here's the end of research papers! (yay) And The Search: Part 2 needs to come out like now. I wants to reads it (waah!)**

**In other news, I've been looking around for different voices to hear in my head whilst typing for my characters, and I've found Akiko's, Shai's, and Kaida's voices (strictly based on voice, not appearance), if anyone is interested.**

**For Kaida search: The Lizzie Benet Dairies Episode One on YouTube. Her name is Ashley Clements...and she's beautiful. *fangirls***

**For Shai search: Mari Lu "Episode 2- What Are You Watching" on YouTube. **

**and for Akiko search: well, just find anything with Michelle Rodriguez. **

**Anyway, tell me what you think if you want. It's really just for me to hear them in my head. I have the type of voices for everyone else, just not specific examples. LOL. **

**Anyway, bye for now!**

**-Moonlit. **


	16. Chapter 15

** Okay, so tensions are high in this chapter. Arguments, anger, tears, yelling, the works. Kaida's back-story starts to unravel more and a little more of Akiko, Inari, and Hiroki's. **

** Enjoy!**

_Chapter Fifteen_

"Are you sure?" Akiko, for once, wasn't hostile or belligerent She was numb. She just studied Taro's face as she sipped her tea quietly, her golden eyes chasm deep with both pain and contemplation.

"Positive," he muttered, and Akiko only nodded. Silently, she drummed her fingers, then pursed her lips. When Taro thought she was about to say something, she only sat back and took another sip of tea.

The kitchen was starkly quiet. Taro, Shai, Kaida, and Akiko were all gathered around, Shai having forced herself into the meeting without having been previously invited, but not much talking had occurred. Taro had relayed his plan, and then that was that. No affirmation of its wisdom, no suggestion to take other actions. Just, "Are you sure?" And then silence.

"You can announce yourself officially to the people of this League, then I'll tell them everything you just told us to my very distant cousins," Akiko finally said, her face a blank slate as she related the plan. "They descend from Bolin and Sada, and, like my family and the Republic City League, they're unofficial leaders here. They can rally the Ba Sing Se League behind us against Shino, or close its doors. No pressure or anything, having to be the one to make that speech."

"I'm sure you make a good sale pitch," Taro whispered.

She grunted, rolling her eyes and glowering into her cup.

"You don't think it's a good plan," he pressed.

"Such a drama queen," she huffed. "You may be the Avatar, but not everything's about you. Forgive me for not being sunny about a war declared on the Republic City League, Taro. And forgive me for your wanting to recruit _equalists _to do that. My ancestors _founded _the League, and some idiot bender with a spirit complex is taking a mighty piss all over that vision." She buried her face in her hands. "You can really pick 'em, Kaida."

"Don't bring me into this," Kaida snapped. "_I_ had the methods to get your mind out of Shino's hold. If it weren't for me, you'd be one of the League members fighting with Shino―youd've been sucked into the New Dai Li, just like the rest of them are. Yet, no. I get no appreciation, because I never do anything right in your eyes. I'm just one colossal screw up. You won't let me redeem myself."

"So you can do some fancy brain work with bloodbending. You can control their minds, release their minds from control, and make them forget things. Yet you couldn't even stop yourself from being brainwashed in a whole other way altogether. You really were love sick. You and that obsession with finding an Avatar. All my grandmother had to do was say he might be it, and suddenly he was a deity to you. You were the closest to him, and you couldn't see the rotting filth that he was."

"And what, you're such a good judge of character? Need I remind you of Tama? I told you something was off about her in those last months, and you always said, 'Kaida, stop being so jealous! Tama loves this place, so stop trying to turn us against her!' The League was almost ratted out because of her, and you're blaming me for being blinded by sentiment? Where's your ability to seek out filth?"

"At least filth doesn't run in my blood, Kaida," Akiko snapped.

"You can never shake that about me, can you?" Kaida slammed her fists on the table. "You just can't take my past. You and your _perfect ancestry. _The ground you walked on gets kissed when they find out you're of Asami and Mako's bloodline. You don't know what it's like to have utter guile, acidic, horrible guile, pumping through your veins. The blood of hypocrites, the blood of killers. You don't know what it's like, to know they course through your very heart. You don't know what it's like, to live in fear of becoming them, of letting them take over. You weren't raised by them, raised to hate. Raised to destroy. You've never felt the will of another bend to you through bloodbending, never held the strings to that terrible art. You've never been praised to be able to do that, to be taught it's a good thing. You don't have a _monster _living inside you, claiming to be you, constantly trying to claw its way out and trying to become you. So you, Akiko, you and your stainless bloodline don't get to judge me." She glared across the table. "Typical you, stabbing at other people's old wounds, reveling in their failures, so you don't have to remember that you―"

"Enough!" Taro stopped, and again the kitchen was silent. Akiko was shivering, for the first time since Taro had known her looking genuinely frail, tears slipping from her golden eyes. "You want to place blame for this, place it on Shino. Not on each other. Every second we sit hear arguing is another second that Shino and the New Dai Li―most of whom are our fellow Leaguers brainwashed into service―are destroying bender life in Republic City. We have jobs to do, so we're going to them. And we're going to do them right, got it? Akiko, let's head to the arena. Kaida, be ready when I get back."

Both girls stood up, leaving Shai, staring into her cup, the only one sitting. Taro, Kaida, and Akiko turned to leave the kitchen, Taro pausing for a minute to stare back at his oldest friend. She looked up, sensing his gaze, and he noticed the tears slipping from her eyes. She'd been out of touch with everything going on, only understanding tidbits of what was happening with the League and Shino, but that's why she was crying. Her best friend, the one that had always told her everything, was suddenly leaving her out of a loop, leaving her behind with his mother and sister and Fin while he gallivanted with a girl she'd seen him kiss.

As he looked at the sad creature sitting at that table, his heart deflated. She was looking at him like a difficult dance step, one she could never conquer without being anyone but herself. Shai would never be a dancer, Shai would never fully belong to Taro. She'd given dance her everything, she'd given Taro her best years, her friendship, her secrets. Yet neither had rewarded her; neither ever would. Each tear she shed was a physical symbol of that realization. Each droplet into her teacup was a knife in Taro's heart, because he was the cause of her torment, and it was too late to change back for her. She would never be a Leaguer, but he couldn't stop being the Avatar. Their paths, so long intertwined, had finally diverged.

"Do you want to come along?" he vainly asked, knowing before he even voiced the question what her answer would be.

"And be a third wheel to you and that waterbender of yours? No thank you," she snapped, getting up. His stomach dropped to his feet as she stormed out, but he felt a hand land on his shoulder. Kaida was there, as he had come to expect her to be.

"Come on," she said quietly, "it's time for the League to finally meet its Avatar."

TBR

"Ma'am, there's a vehicle pulling up in your driveway."

Shani looked up, getting up out of her chair and heading over to the window. Slowly pushing the curtains away, she noticed a pair of young adults disembarking from a motorcycle, both seeming to be locked in an argument. The taller one, a male judging by his shape, killed the engine and set up the kickstand while delivering a monologue to contribute to the debate.

The shorter of the two took off her helmet, letting plump black curls rush free. She let her brown eyes nervously scan the house, then said something to her companion. He shrugged and removed his helmet, letting his short cropped brown hair be seen. His glimmering gold eyes radiated nerves.

"Shall I apprehend them?" the servant asked.

"No," Shani sighed, "they don't look hostile. Find out what they need."

"Yes, Ma'am," her attendant said. When he was gone, the study was silent accept for the crackling fire and the distant call of some nocturnal animal. She liked the quietness of her countryside home far better than her city manor, and she was finally glad to be rid of that mausoleum anyway. She had been all happy to put the life of an official behind her.

Sighing, she sipped her tea and waited for the servant's return, which came with a great commotion. The man came back, white-faced, and closed the door to the study, leaning against it. Shaking, he drew in a breath. "Ghosts," he muttered, "they're brining ghosts here."

"For goodness sakes, what do you mean?" Shani sighed.

"They have Ami's picture," he muttered, "a letter she wrote, a piece of clothing that belonged to her. They _knew _her."

"Ami?" Shani gasped. "Well, don't just stand there. Send them in!"

The servant nodded, opening the door and letting the two companions shuffled in. They both stared at Shani, both looking rather uncomfortable with the situation. The former official waved her attendant off, leaving the trio alone in the room.

"Show me then," Shani said. "What evidence do you have that you knew her?"

"Well, it was more of our mother's acquaintance than our own. I was seven when she came to us," the girl explained, presenting the items that the servant had talked about. "My name is Inari. This is Hiroki, my younger brother. We're here on behalf of Ami's son."

"Son?" Shani looked up. "So the baby was a boy?"

"Taro," Inari nodded.

"And what of Ami?" Shani was very reluctant to ask, the regret obvious in her inquiry.

"―died in childbirth," Inari whispered, with an equal amount of reluctance. "Her son was raised by a nice family. Wonderful, hardworking people who showed him nothing but love and acceptance."

"I killed her," Shani muttered. "I killed that innocent thing. How much shall the blood of children stain my hands?"

"You didn't kill Ami," Inari assured. "She was happy with us. She came to us in quite a state, but my mother and grandmother nursed her back to health. She was family to us. It was the Savior who killed her―with bloodbending."

"Bloodbending? The Savior? That is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard. The Savior does not bend, child." She said it, but it was obvious she knew this to be the contrary. Inari and Hiroki looked unimpressed, and the young man spoke up.

"Tell that to Ami and her son," Hiroki snorted. "According to Taro's adoptive mother, the one who delivered Ami's baby, he did quite a bit of internal damage. Poor thing just couldn't take childbirth after what he did to her. The baby wasn't unharmed either. Kid's never walked a day in his life, thanks to the Savior's little puppet show."

"Hiroki," Inari gasped, seeing the sheer horror on Shani's face.

"I'm sorry, but that's the man this woman follows, Inari," Hiroki snapped, "she doesn't deserve sugarcoating."

"Official―" Inari began.

"Please, I am no longer associated with that title. The point of me holding power was eliminated the moment my Jae passed away. I only assumed my husband's work for the money it brought. Medicines are so, so expensive. I did what I had to―"

"In the name of equality, huh?"

"For goodness sake, will you make me say it? My child was a bender! I spit on the equalists' name, don't you know that? I spit on it! The only reason I held any sort of office was to keep my girl alive. And look at how it turned out. A foolish venture, all in vain! All the blood spilled, and my child was taken from me anyway. Why, you little urchin, must you come into my house, my blissful solitude, and tear into old wounds? You speak like I don't know pain remorse, yet neither does your wicked tongue. Atten―"

"Wait!" Inari gasped, holding up her hands. "Please, forgive my brother. His is normally far gentler than this." She glared over at Hiroki. "We have just gone through a terrible happening in our family. He is in mourning. Many of our brethren have been taken away from us."

"Akiko came out, didn't she?" Hiroki muttered. "All the way in Ba Sing Se, and she _still _has to get her arguments in." Inari glared at him again.

"You're from the League, aren't you?" Shani gasped. "The underground bender resistance?"

"You're looking at direct descendents of two of the key founders," Hiroki said proudly.

"So, you've come here to kill me then? Finally going to take revenge on an old woman. I hope it satisfies you."

"No, Ma'am," Inari shook her head, "we came to recruit you."

"Recruit―"

"You daughter was a bender, Shani," Inari said, "and society forced her to hide. In the end, it was a lonely heart that killed her. Having to hide herself from the world for fear of the way her kind is treated by it. You did all you could to save her, but laws prevented it in the end. Anti-bender laws the forced her to hide. Anti-bender laws that force us into a lower standard of living, because of a factor we cannot control. There's a resistance out there, lead by a fool and doomed to fail. We have to stop it, and we need your help."

"My help? And why should I, especially with the way that one treated me?" she gestured to Hiroki with a glare.

"Ma'am, if the uprising fails, which is inevitable, bender laws will increase tenfold. People like your daughter will never stand a chance. Jae would want this."

"And by what power to you presume to know what my Jae would want?"

"Jae was the Avatar, Ma'am. And so is Ami's son. We don't presume. We know."

"My child? The Avatar? That's―well, that's_ absurd_. I―"

"You knew, didn't you?" Inari whispered. "You knew who she was, and you never told her."

"She bent earth once, while she was having a nightmare. I got rid of the evidence. Not even she knew she did it. And how could I let her know? What good would it have done? They would have killed her."

"You ask why you should help," Inari said. "Do it for her, Shani. You lost Jae, but you lost her because of what bender laws forced you to do. They broke her heart, her spirit. Don't let it ever happen to any innocent child. You cannot bring back Jae. The Avatar cycle as moved on, as it always does. But you can break the cycle of misery by fighting with us, for her honor. The League gives people like her a chance, so help us keep it alive, Shani. Please."

"What do you need me to do, then? I'm no longer an official, I don't have clearance."

"But you know people who do," Hiroki said, "and we need as many people on our side as we can get."

"You're awfully trusting, of someone who publically served the equalists," Shani said, and Inari and Hiroki only smiled.

"I know the power of a mother's love," Inari said, walking to the official. The young woman pulled up her pant leg, revealing a tiny patch of scarred skin. "The reason why it's only this and not my whole body," she said, "was because my mother, Samir, pushed me away from the flames and fell in herself."

"Besides," Hiroki said, "you seem to know a thing or two about the Avatar."

"I may have bootlegged information," Shani whispered. "I had to get it, to understand why Jae could bend earth _and _air."

"Naturally," Inari nodded. "So you must know the Avatars have been known to channel their predecessors, sometimes the past Avatar appearing before the eyes of the ordinary."

"Yes, I heard the rumor."

"The current Avatar is willing to try and let you see Jae again," Inari said, "so long as you help him, of course."

"What do you need me to find out?" Shani finally asked.

"What happened to the Leaguers that have been taken? Do the equalists know the whereabouts of the leaders? Anything and everything the equalists know regarding the attack. Tell no one of your knowing about the Avatar, or the equalists will find and kill him. And your hopes of seeing Jae again along with it."

TBR

"There's a match about to start," the ref snorted, "and even if there _weren't_, I'm not going to stop events for a group of delusional kids."

"Delusional?" Akiko snapped. "We're not delusional! Here, Taro! Bend!"

"Uh―" Taro stiffened, looking ready to shrink away at the prospect.

"Look kid, I've got to officiate. So, take your crazy, and―"

"Problem, Iluq?" a voice asked, and all three heads swiveled around to see a woman, appearing to be somewhere in her mid-thirties, standing just a few feet away. She was wearing men's clothes, and walked with a cane and a limp as she approached the group. Her braided hair was long and dark, slung over her left shoulder like a decoration.

"Avani?" Akiko asked.

"Hello, Cousin Akiko," the woman said.

"Cousin?" Iluq blinked, and Avani waved her hand.

"Distantly. Her ancestor, Mako, and my ancestor, Bolin, were brothers."

"Mako's ancestor?" Iluq looked embarrassed.

"Yes," Avani said, a low hum in her throat. "So, you go officiate, and I'll just take these two to the gym office and hear what they have to say. Alright?"

"Yes, Avani," the official muttered, slipping away. Avani smiled at Taro and Akiko.

"So, I didn't know you were in Ba Sing Se, Cousin," Avani said, already walking. Akiko and Taro followed. "Though I must say I am glad. The higher ups here were worried about your family's involvement in the Republic City uprising."

"Hardly," Akiko snorted, "that was Shino's doing."

"Shino? That nice earthbender boy on your team? I remember him from when you traveled to the Inter-League those years back."

"Formerly on our team, yes," Akiko snorted. "He's employed the help of a group called the New Dai Li. According to Kaida, it's a sect of earthbender and waterbenders―well, sand and blood benders―that use their bending for mind control purposes. Shino's forcefully brainwashed our benders―our _family―_into helping it."

"Kaida knows this how?"

"She created the New Dai Li. Well, at least introduced the concept."

Avani paused, whipping around. "Cousin, you know she's the main cause of suspicion for your branch of the League. None of our higher ups would put an uprising like that past her." She kept walking, the others following suit.

"I would," Akiko said, "Kaida's many things, but she is fiercely loyal to the League and so much of a pacifist you'd think she's an airbender. Those days are behind her, and―"

"Republic City may have her trust, but the Earth Kingdom is not so willing. Remember where she comes from."

"She's the only reason why I'm standing here and not one of Shino's puppets," Akiko argued. "She's our best insight into the nature of the enemy―"

"Listen, Cousin, how Kaida is accepted into your League is your branch's call, but I'm guessing you weren't trying to get yourself onto the arena to debate the bloodbender with us. So, get on with it then. Why have you come to Ba Sing Se?"

"We came a few days ago, seeking refuge from Shino."

"Fair enough. But I could have surmised that on my own. Do go on."

"We've found the Avatar," Akiko finally blurted, and Avani nearly tripped over herself.

_"What?" _the woman span around, her dull brown eyes flashing from Akiko to Taro. "That's impossible. The Avatar―"

"Has cycled back to water since Korra's death," Akiko said, "and we've found him."

"..._found _him?" she repeated. "But, who? Where? When?"

"You're looking at him," Taro finally spoke up, and Avani's jaw dropped to the floor. Then she just smacked her forehead and laughed.

"Everyone's a comedian these days, right? You're trying to pass that scrawny little boy off as―well, my goodness he's in a―well, he―"

"You can say wheelchair, you know," Akiko laughed. "He's not offended easily, and he doesn't bite. Much."

"You're the―" Avani stammered, and Taro smirked in spite of himself.

"That was my reaction too. It's totally normal," he shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "And, if you don't mind, I have a plan on how to handle this whole Shino mess. I'll need all of the―um, what was the term you used? Oh, yes―'higher ups' to meet with me. I need to know right away if this branch of the League is on board."

"There are tests to validate this claim, you know," Avani said.

"And he'll pass them all," Akiko assured. "Now, are we going to stand here, or are we going to start assembling people and getting down to business?"

**Okay, so yeah. Plans are being set in motion. Not much else to say.**

**Also, yes Avani's kind of...annoying, but I have cooler ancestors for Bolin. Trust me. ;)**

**So anyway, hope you liked!**

**-Moonlit. **


End file.
